


The Legend of Tenten

by Lord22



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29009862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord22/pseuds/Lord22
Summary: Tenten is an ordinary girl with big dreams, even if everyone wants her to give them up. But she's going to prove them all wrong! Journeying to the Leaf to become a ninja, Tenten is about to find her destiny. Whether she likes it when she gets there is another matter...
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Tenten
Kudos: 2





	1. Uncalled Adventure

Chapter One: Uncalled Adventure

Tenten, Master Ninja, landed upon a cliff beneath a stormy sky. Beneath her, she saw the legions of darkness peering up in fear. As they saw her, they fled in terror.

"Oh no!" said one.

"It can't be!" said another.

"It's Tenten!" said a third.

"We are doomed!" said a fourth.

"Yes!" proclaimed Tenten. "I am Tenten, the greatest ninja to ever live, greatest student of Tsunade and-"

And then a panda whacked her over the head with a length of bamboo. The blow destroyed imagination land and leaving her in bitter reality. Looking up, she saw Master Panda munching on his bamboo. "Tenten, focus on cleaning those floors. If they get cluttered, it could cause a fire in the forge."

Tenten sighed. "Yes, Master Panda."

Reluctantly, she grabbed her rag and set to work cleaning. Master Panda didn't actually trust her to take part in the forging process. So instead, she spent her days cleaning the house until it was spotless.

"No time for daydreaming, I guess," mused Tenten, rubbing down the floor. She could probably leave it as is, but you should always do your best work. Not that her best work seemed to be getting her anywhere. "Ugh, this is the worst. Master, why can't I go to the ninja academy at the Leaf?"

"Tenten, I'm disappointed in you," said Master Panda. "The ninja academy at the Leaf is expensive, and the work is far more dangerous than blacksmithing. Even if you got into it, paid for the training, and then graduated, you don't have a Sharingan. You'd just end up as cannon fodder for the Senju and Uchiha."

"But Master, anyone can become powerful if they put the work in!" said Tenten. "The Hokage, Sarutobi, doesn't have a bloodline!

"So I can be like him."

"Not with my money, you're not," said Panda. "My most useful assistant is not going to waste her life as a ninja. She's going to give up on her dreams, then spend her life selling those suckers subpar equipment! All for outrageous prices! I just got an order from both the Uchiha Clan and the Leaf for a whole shipment!

"With luck, there will be a civil war, and we'll make a killing! And when the surrounding lands invade, we can sell to them as well!"

"But being a merchant is dishonorable!" said Tenten. "Everyone says so!"

"Eh, honor is a scam rich people invented so the poor wouldn't murder them for their stuff," said Master Panda. "The samurai hated merchants, and look at where they are now. They're a relic.

"Once we get rich enough, we'll determine good and evil!"

"I hate you!" said Tenten.

"You can feel how you want," said Master Panda. "As long as you finish your job." Then he went back to munching bamboo.

Tenten clenched a fist and looked skyward. "Ugh! Why couldn't I be an orphan whose parents got massacred by bandits and ended up in an abusive home! I could do whatever I wanted then!

"But, no, I had to be born during an era of peace, miles away from the Leaf, with a steady career waiting for me. I'll bet orphans in the Land of Rain don't have to put up with this kind of thing. They just starve to death."

On she worked, carefully polishing all the tools, sanding down the beams and all the usual stuff. Then, just as she finished, Tenten saw a slight, tiny smudge she might have missed. For a moment she paused, before reluctantly picking up her cloth and going back to scrubbing.

At last, Tenten had finished. Walking over to the table, she found a belt of recently made kunai. "Alright, done. Master Panda, I'm going to go test some kunai."

"Just be sure to collect them after you finish missing the targets," said Master Panda.

"Shut up!" shouted Tenten. "I always hit!"

"Whatever you say," said Master Panda.

Tenten stalked out of the house and as she walked to the target practice area. Then she saw the smoke begin to rise behind her. Glancing back, she half hoped that a bunch of raiders had broken in and Master Panda was fighting. No such luck; instead he'd started using the forge, which meant she'd have to clean it again soon.

Didn't he ever take a day off?

Either way, Tenten went to the target area and began to hurl kunai at the targets while walking. Each strike hit a bullseye, as usual. Pausing, Tenten opted to throw a kunai a little bit above the target, then another one after it. The blade knocked the first kunai in midair, so it got a perfect bullseye.

Perfect shots as usual.

This used to be hard, but the constant practice had honed her abilities. Not that she had anything to use it on. "Ugh, this is the worst." She went to collect the kunai. "Nothing but hits.

"I know I could be a powerful ninja if I could just go to the academy. How am I ever going to become like the Great Ninja Tsunade if I can't even get access to the academy?"

At that moment, Tenten heard a voice through the trees. It was demanding, but young and she looked for it. "Shizune, are you certain this is the way to the village?"

"Shizune?" asked Tenten. "She must be an assistant to Lady Tsunade?"

"I'm not... entirely sure, Lady Tsunade," said a voice. "But I'm certain it must lead somewhere."

Then Tenten saw her and realized it had to be Lady Tsunade. The curvaceous blonde was every bit as beautiful as Tenten had imagined her. She was untouched by age like a goddess. Her golden hair fell around her as she walked.

"Wonderful, and here I was hoping to get some gambling in," said Tsunade. "You, girl, does this way lead to the village?"

Tenten realized she was being addressed directly. "I...

"You're Lady Tsunade?"

"Never you mind that, does this way lead to the village?" asked Tsunade.

Tenten leaped to attention as she quickly sheathed her kunai into the belt. This was her chance to impress her idol. "N-no, it leads away from the village. I uh... I could show you the way if you want."

"I appreciate that," said Tsunade, before raising an eyebrow. "Those kunai, are you a Leaf Ninja?"

"No, I mean to say, not yet I'm not," said Tenten. "I'm just testing out the kunai we make to sell to the ninja.

"I'm hoping to get training at the academy, but Master Panda won't pay for it. He says that ninjas are suckers. Especially the ones that gamble with-

"I don't agree with him, I should clarify. I want to be a ninja."

Tsunade nodded. "...Well, in any case, lead on."

Tenten nodded. "Um right, yes. Follow me."

And she quickly led Lady Tsunade and Shizune along the path. Shizune seemed to have fallen into Tsunade's shadow, somewhat. She had the same mousy brown hair Tenten had and also was wearing brow. About the only thing, Tenten had that Shizune didn't was her hair tied up in two buns, made to resemble a panda.

"Is it far?" asked Tsunade.

"No, it's not far at all," said Tenten, leading on. "Um, I've heard a lot of stories about you, Lady Tsunade."

"I don't want to talk about the past," said Tsunade.

Tenten nodded. "Right, sorry."

"Sorry if Lady Tsunade is short," said Shizune. "We've been on the road for some time, and we haven't seen civilization in weeks.

"So, um, you work as a blacksmith with your family?"

"No, just Master Panda," said Tenten. "He found me as a baby abandoned in the woods. I never knew my real parents."

"There were a lot of orphans from the Third Shinobi World War," noted Tsunade.

"Yeah, and I'm one of them. Maybe," said Tenten.

Eventually, they came out of the trees and into the edge of the woods. The town stood out far before them, and Tenten paused. She hadn't taken any shipments from this place in forever. "Master Panda usually has me get him the equipment he needs from these places. He doesn't like coming out this far."

"You carry equipment by yourself?" asked Tsunade.

"No um, I use a Fuinjutsu he taught me to use," said Tenten. "You can store all kinds of weapons and equipment in it. He gives it to me with a lot of money inside, then I use that money to buy what he needs.

"Then I take it back here." Tenten halted; this was so great. Lady Tsunade was taking an interest in her! Maybe she would ask Tenten for guidance around the town, and she'd impress her and be taught as a protege. "So uh, here we are. The town is right over there, and um..."

Tsunade nodded. "Thank you for your help. Farewell."

And they walked on down.

"Oh, no problem I..." began Tenten as she realized her idol was already walking away from them. From the looks of things, Tsunade had already forgotten her. "Or maybe I'm just some random person who points them in the right direction. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. I probably... probably should have asked her to train me when I had the chance.

"I should head back home and keep working." And Tenten turned and walked toward home. Except, as she walked, she realized that she'd just lost a major opportunity. When would she get another one like this one? If she went home and cleaned the smithy for Master Panda again, she'd never leave again. Her fist was clenched. "...Not this time."

Storming toward the house before her nerve fell apart, Tenten kicked open the door. "Alright, Master Panda! I've had it! I've sick of staying here and practicing to become a blacksmith!

"I'm gonna be a ninja! I'm going to join the ninja academy in the Leaf, and that's final! And I'm leaving right now!"

Master Panda didn't look up as he hammered away at a sword. "Sure, whatever, have fun."

Tenten was kind of disappointed at this response. "What? You're not even going to try and stop me?"

"Oh please, you've got no supplies, all the equipment you've got on you there is my property. Besides, you don't even have a raincoat," said Master Panda. "You're going to be back here soaking wet in a few hours."

Tenten fumed and drew the kunai off her belt and threw them on the table. "...Well, fine, I don't need the equipment anyway! And I'm sure I can get there on time, there hasn't been any rain in-"

An hour later, it was pouring.

Tenten shivered in the rain, trying to keep her chakra network humming to warm her. She'd been taught to access it for the transportation jutsu. Of course, it didn't make things anything less comfortable. She might not have been going numb from the cold, but that made it more uncomfortable. The water was pouring down her body as she walked.

"Typical," said Tenten, shuddering. "Okay, so it's pouring rain. Fine, I'll just find a cave to hole up in for a bit. I'm sure I can stay for a bit." Walking along, she spotted one nearby, beneath an old log. "Ah, there's one." Moving forward, she crawled into it and enjoyed the absence of rain on her. "Now I can just sit down and... uh..."

There was a low growl.

Tenten looked up and saw a wolf. Several wolves, all of them growling at her. Tenten sat up and crawled back. "Hi, um... nice dogey, nice dog, I uh...

"RUN AWAY!"

Turning, she fled, and the wolves were after her in a shot. Grabbing a tree branch, she hauled herself up. It happened mere moments before the wolves snapping jaws came after her sandals. Scaling as high up the tree as possible, Tenten got to the top and looked down.

The wolves were waiting and growling.

"Why couldn't Dad let me keep some of the kunai?!" muttered Tenten. "Oh well, I'm sure they won't want to stay in the rain any more than I do-"

The rain dribbled to a stop.

"SERIOUSLY?!" said Tenten.

The wolves sat down to wait. Tenten leaned against the bark and sighed. "Okay, so... um, I'm stuck up a tree in a rainstorm with hungry wolves baying for my blood. But I'm sure Lady Tsunade will be along to save me or something."

Nothing happened.

"Um... any time now."

Nothing continued to happen for quite some time. Tenten decided that she had to do it herself if she was going to get out of this. Peering around, Tenten saw a tree branch from another tree nearby. It was a different kind of tree with a lot of pine cones. If Tenten could get there, maybe she could slip down and sneak out.

Pulling herself into a standing position on the branch, Tenten stayed quiet. "Okay, Tenten, you might be able to make it to that branch if you run. One, two, three..." She sprinted forward along the narrow branch and leaped.

For a moment, she was in freefall, heading down and toward the other branch. Then, just as she was about to pass it, Tenten caught it. The branch bent but did not break, and she pulled herself up.

"Yes! I got it, now I'll just..." Tenten looked down. The wolves moved about ten feet to the left and surrounded the tree she had moved to. "Stupid dogs. They followed me."

Clambering into a better position, Tenten stared down with the wolves staring at her. "Well, this is just great.

"All I've done is switch to a different tree with..." She saw one of the pine cones. "Pinecones. Lots of pine cones." Snatching one of the tree, she raised it. "Hey wolfie, take this!"

Hurling the pine cone, it whacked one of the wolves right on the snout. The wolf whimpered and backed away, only for Tenten to hurl another one at him. Then another. Then she turned her attention to hitting the stupid thing's friends. One of them howled, only to be whacked again. Every single throw Tenten made connected. Soon they were whimpering and fleeing into the woods.

She hurled a few more blows to keep them running and picked up some pine cones. Then she slid down the tree and walked on. "Hah! Not so great, now are you! Plenty more where that came from!"

Tenten then continued on enthusiastically, feeling very accomplished. "Yes! Now that I've defeated the wolves, I can head to town! The beginning of the Legend of Tenten is now!

"Uh...

"Where am I?"

Tenten halted as she realized this part of the forest wasn't looking like anything she'd been here. She must have gotten turned around after fleeing the cave. "I haven't been in this part of the forest before.

"Let me think." Tenten looked up. "Okay, so that tree is much higher than the others. I'll climb up that to the top and see what I can find."

Tenten did just that.

Only one problem. Now that she wasn't being chased by hungry wolves, climbing trees was hard. As long as her life was on the line, the rough bark and skinned knees weren't a big deal. Now, though, she was feeling a lot of aches from her earlier efforts.

"Geeze, this was so much easier when my life was on the line," muttered Tenten, coming up through the trees. Looking around, she viewed the forest and thought it looked much more beautiful from this high. Even so, she kept looking and eventually saw the town. "Ah, there's the town now. It's uh... it's a long way off, isn't it? Better start heading that way now."

And so, once again, Tenten slid down the tree and kept walking. She was aching all over now as she walked and feeling very hungry. She hadn't taken any food with her, and she thought hungrily about a rabbit Master Panda had been cooking. "...I'm really hungry. I guess I could head back to the cottage, but...

"No, if I go back now, I'll never leave again. I've got to stay the course and keep going. Maybe I could hunt for my food. I just need to find a stone." Looking down, she found a particularly flat stone and tossed it into the air. "Yeah, that'll do.

"Now, all I need to do is find a rabbit."

Finding a rabbit was a lot more difficult than Tenten expected. It didn't help that she wasn't used to hunting, and she couldn't deviate from her current course. Eventually, however, she was lucky enough to see a rabbit. It was munching on some plant or other and leaned over. Mouthwatering, Tenten raised her stone and prepared to make the throw.

Even as she did, though, she stepped on a loose twig. The rabbit spurred to life, sprinting away. Tenten hurled the stone, but her balance was off, and rabbits are much smaller than wolves. The stone sparked on a pile of leaves kept dry under a stump, and the rabbit escaped.

"No, no, come back here, you delicious bunny! I need to eat you!" cried Tenten, racing after him. But she halted and looked around, feeling more miserable than ever. "It's getting dark now and cold. I think I might need to stay the night out here. Well, fine, I'll just make a fire. With no flint or tinder. In the middle of a wet forest.

"Okay, so that's a no go."

Then Tenten noticed the dry leaves had caught fire and were burning merrily. Happily, Tenten warmed her hands on the flames. Then she noticed that the log was starting to smoke.

"Um..." Tenten halted.

The log caught fire.

"RUN AWAY!" cried Tenten.

She sprinted for the town with all her might.

It didn't take long before the blaze became an inferno and ended up setting other trees on fire. Tenten had no idea how she'd managed to set fire to a wet forest, but the flames were spreading. She noticed woodland creatures fleeing for their lives and ran even faster.

On either side, Tenten could see fire rising around her. She tripped and fell before rising again despite being stunned. On and on she ran, feeling the heat at the back of her neck. At last, she sprinted out of the forest and into the open. Turning around, Tenten looked up and saw the forest behind her crackling with flame.

This uh... this wasn't off to a good start.

Either way, she had reached the town. So she walked toward the road and limped the rest of the way, wet and miserable. People were coming out to see the flames rising high into the night as she knocked on the gates to the town. The door opened, and a man peered out.

"A child?" he asked. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"I was trying to travel to the Leaf Ninja to become a ninja. But I got lost in the rain and ran into a bunch of wolves in a cave," said Tenten. "Then they chased me up a tree, and I drove them off with pinecones. But then while I was heading out this way, the fire happened, and I had to run for my life."

"...How old are you?" asked the man.

"Eight, I think," said Tenten, who did not keep a calendar. "I'm an adult. Itachi Uchiha was slaughtering armies at my age."

"Shouldn't you be with your family?" asked the man.

"Master Panda wants me to work as a blacksmith," said Tenten. Then she realized this town wasn't the one she usually went to. It must have been a different one, and she got turned around in the forest.

"Why would you run away from a career like that?" asked the man. "It's highly lucrative."

"Because I want to be a ninja," said Tenten proudly.

"You want to be cannon fodder for the Uchiha and Senju?" asked the man.

"No, I want to be the greatest ninja ever," said Tenten.

"Do you have any bloodlines?" asked the man.

Tenten paused. "Um, well, I don't know.

"I mean, I am an orphan, but I'll bet I'm some long-lost descendant of an ancient race of warriors. Or the reincarnation of a Goddess."

"Yeah, you should give up on your dreams and go home," said the man. "How are you even going to fund this? Even if you get to the Leaf, you'll have to pay for housing and food. The academy won't give that to you."

"Well, um... I guess I could do some odd jobs here. At least until I get the money to head to the Leaf," said Tenten, not dignifying the first part with a response. "I won't get far without equipment.

"Is there anywhere I can get some work?"

The gate opened, and the guard peered out. "Well, I heard that Old Man Yannis is in need of having a fence painted. We usually go to the Leaf for D rank missions."

"How much does the Leaf demand for D ranks?" asked Tenten, remembering her haggling lessons.

"Um, for the whole team?" asked the man. "It depends on the level of skill. I've got a chart here with some guidelines if you want to see them, though."

"Then I'll undercut their prices. I'll charge only a fraction of what they do the entire thing myself," said Tenten. "Where's this fence and Old Man Yannis?"

The guard sighed. "...I'll tell you what, I'll take you to him in the morning. Just, come into the guardhouse, get warm and rest here tonight."

Tenten followed him in. "Right, um, thanks. When I'm a legend, I'll be sure to remember you."

The guard didn't have any faith in her, she could tell. Well, she'd prove it, just like she proved it today. Looking at herself in a mirror, Tenten saw herself wet, bedraggled, but victorious. "I'll be a legend, I'm sure of it."

Then she collapsed into unconsciousness.


	2. No Such Thing as Bad Publicity

Tenten was painting a fence.

When she'd started out on her journey to be a ninja, this isn't what she had in mind. Then again, it was a relief compared to being chased by wolves. As her brush moved up and down, people passed her by without even noticing her. As she worked further and further along with it, no one gave her a second glance.

It was a little annoying, but she reminded herself she didn't need that kind of attention.

"Have you heard about the Inuzuka wolves?" asked a merchant in a nearby cafe.

"What about them?" asked another.

"Someone attacked some of their packs in the caves and gave them all a lot of bruises," said the first. "All that howling last night was their handiwork."

Tenten tried to listen and keep at her work and was finding it difficult.

"No kidding?" asked the second one.

"I heard that girl over there was forced to run for it," said the first. "Now she's working odd jobs."

"That's terrible," said the second.

Tenten was slowing down here. She had to stay focused on painting, or she'd get things done at a much slower rate.

"Well, what about the forest fire? No way could it have started normally after all that rain," said the second after a moment.

"You think it was a ninja?" asked the first.

"Maybe," said the second. "I hear that the Leaf is sending several whole squads of ANBU out to investigate, and troops are on standby. Meanwhile, the Uchiha are having to pick up the slack as enforcers."

"Well, they've been in charge of law enforcement since the Leaf was founded, so that's to be expected," said the first. "Still, I was in the Leaf a little while ago, before the fire, and, well, things were odd."

"Odd how?" asked the second.

"Supposedly, there was a sort of tenseness on the street," said the first. "There are always ninja on guard, but this time there were more of them. And they kept looking at us like we might be an intruder. I get the feeling they know something or think they know something.

"And everybody is jumping at shadows because they think whatever it is might strike."

Tenten realized she was slowing down and sped up, painting up then down with as much care as possible. Doing this was really giving her arms a workout, and the crouching she had to do to get the low spots worked her legs. It was pretty good exercise.

"Well, what do you think it was?" asked the second.

"Well, I remember there was an Uchiha and a member of the ANBU," said the first. "Both were walking past my stall on some business, right. And they turn the corner and bang into eachother.

"Both of them draw out knives on reflex the second they see who the other is. It takes a moment before they realize they are allies. Something is going on out there; mark my words. And I think it might be an internal thing."

"Yeah, just keep talking," muttered Tenten, tuning out the distractions. "I'm going to make my pay, and then... then I'll have what I need to head to the Leaf."

On Tenten worked, ignoring any further conversations. As she did, she found her rate of work increased a lot. Several times she heard interesting tidbits in the back. But she ignored them and refused to think about them. Focus and work, and she'd get to her goal.

Don't let irrelevant things distract you.

And in the end, Tenten succeeded in painting the entire fence. Done. The best part was that this stuff was paint that had been infused with chakra. It was designed to harden right after being applied. It must have been very expensive.

"Well, this is some good work so far, young lady," said Old Man Yannis.

Tenten beamed at the praise. Finally, some respect. "Thank you."

It had taken a lot of work, but she'd finally done it. Now she could make her pay and-

"Now you can put on the second coat of paint," said Yannis, bringing out another bucket. He was a very old man with spectacles and wasn't even looking directly at her.

Tenten sighed. She had to complete the job she'd been given before she could do anything. "...Yes, sir."

She took the paint, cleaned her brush, and prepared to go in again. However, her mind was just not in it. Forcing herself to focus, she opened the paint buckets. And she had half a mind to just rush through it. Yannis' eyes couldn't have been that good, and he wouldn't notice. She could just do the bare minimum, and she'd never come back here again.

No one would care or know.

But Tenten would know. Every time she thought of this place, she'd remember she did a half-assed job on it. "Okay, Tenten, you're not going to do a shoddy job on this, and you're not gonna steal. Not even if you can get away with it. You'll do your job, get your payment and go on to the Leaf Village."

And she set to work with renewed vigor.

As Tenten painted the next layer, she did so with determination. She was very careful not to leave any blank spots or thin areas.

"Okay, done, finally," said Tenten.

"Excellent work, Tenten," said Yannis. "It was really kind of you to help out like this."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," said Tenten. "After all, I needed this job as much as you needed it done."

Yannis gave her the money. "Here's your payment."

Tenten took the payment and saw that it was what she had bargained for. No bonus or anything, which she was a little annoyed about. But then Tenten reminded herself that Yannis did not owe her anything more than what he'd offered. "Thanks.

"Now I just need to go buy what I need."

And Tenten went shopping with her newly gained funds. While moving about, she was careful to buy the best stuff she could at a good price. This town seemed to cater to traveling merchants, and they had a pretty good selection. Still, haggling was difficult, to say the least.

But, at last, Tenten had purchased everything she'd need in equipment. She'd cut it pretty close and spent all her money. "Okay, flint, tinder, knife. I can pick up some stones to defend myself with if it comes to it. Now I just need some food..." Tenten halted. "Nothing left.

"I'm going to have to do another odd job, I guess. But where can I find one on such short notice?" It was midday above. Why had she spent extra on the knife? She could have saved a bit and bought some supplies above. Now she'd never get out of here today unless she found a job.

Sitting down, Tenten looked around at the people. There were a number of people who looked pretty wealthy. She was sure that she could steal something from one of them real quick and-

No!

Tenten was no thief. She'd be better off begging if she wanted something for free. Actually, begging sounded like a pretty good idea. She was fairly young, so she was sure someone would give her money for food. She'd just have to stash-

No way!

Tenten was not going to be a parasite. She was going to pull her own weight and make her own keep. She could find a job on short notice; she just needed to figure out a problem that needed solving. Looking around, she saw a person cleaning the street in front of their store. They were doing a pretty good job of it, but a lot of stores were pretty dirty.

They ought to get someone to clean in front of them. Merchants seemed to prefer going into stores that were cleaner looking. They didn't remark on it or anything, but it seemed like a subconscious sort of thing.

"That's it!" said Tenten, standing up.

Looking around, she found a store that had a really dirty street in front of it. Then she entered into it and saw a man sitting in front of the counter with a miserable expression on her face. She smiled and walked in. "Excuse me, sir, I'm Tenten, and I'm trying to make a business as a street cleaner. For a reasonable fee, I can clean outside of your store."

"I'm not sure I really need it," said the man, looking at a mirror with drab eyes.

"Oh, but it'll help you with customers," said Tenten. "Think about it, a customer is walking down the lane, and then look at the stores. Then they see your store, completely sparkling clean on the outside. It'll give them a good first impression, and good first impressions are everything."

"How much do you want?" asked the man, looking miserable.

Tenten asked as much as she calculated she'd need for food. The man seemed surprised and shrugged despondently. He looked like the sort of person who'd given up on his dreams.

"Alright, I'll give it a try," said the man. "Get to work."

"Great, can I borrow a mop and bucket?" asked Tenten. "I haven't been able to purchase one of my own."

The man stood up, walked over to the closet, opened it, and tossed both to Tenten, who caught them. She smiled and ran immediately to the water pipe, filling it. Then she set to work cleaning in front of the store. "Alright, time to get to work, Tenten," she muttered to herself. "We'll do more than clean the street. We'll clean the street so well it shines. Nobody is going to be able to say we aren't the best street cleaner ever, and that's before we become a ninja!"

People were glancing at her incredulously, but it was only brief. As soon as they decided she'd never amount to anything, they walked off. Tenten felt anger at that, but she could use that anger. She focused on burning away the dirt on the stones like she was clearing away the dirt on her soul. She liked to imagine that she was making herself stronger on a spiritual level.

Working constantly, she saw the light above her fading. It was the afternoon now, but she wasn't going to give up. Soon enough, she'd worked away all of the worst spots of muck and dirt. Looking at the street, Tenten nodded and poured the water into the gutter. Then she went into the street.

"Alright! All done!" said Tenten. "Would you like to inspect the results, sir?"

"...Sure," said the man, standing up and moving out to look at the street.

There was some change in his face, a bit of change of impression. He seemed impressed, but he was just as miserable. What had happened to this guy to make him this miserable?

"If you like my results so far, I'd happily clean the floor of your shop as a bonus," said Tenten.

The man nodded. "...Go ahead."

Tenten did just that, working her way through the wood. She also did some dusting and under his supervision, organized things. She had the feeling that something awful had happened to the guy and wondered what had happened. A glance over at a table, however, showed a picture frame.

In it, he was much younger and standing with a beautiful woman. Had he lost his wife recently or something? Whatever the reason, he seemed a little better.

At last, Tenten finished, and the man came up to her, seeming to have some life in her. He offered her the exact amount she'd bargained for. Tenten felt a bit of resentment for that but crushed it down.

"Here's your payment," said the man, after Tenten had taken it.

"Thank you, sir," said Tenten. "I uh... I hope things get better for you."

"Thank you," said the man.

Tenten left the store and walked out into the midsts of town. As she got out into the street, she looked at it. It was much cleaner than before, and the man within had just a little bit more life in him. And she had the money she needed.

Buying her supplies, Tenten headed out of the gates with high expectations.

"Now that I'm properly equipped, my legend can properly-" began Tenten.

An hour later.

"I HATE RAIN!" shouted Tenten, desperate trying to keep her chakra network pumping. And, of course, the one thing she'd forgotten was a cloak. "Why couldn't it start raining while I was in town! At least then, there was some cover!"

Finding a tree that gave her a bit of shelter, Tenten got under it, finding the remains of a firepit. Trying to light it, she found the flint and tinder wasn't working with all the rain. Every time she got a spark out, it was quenched.

"Honestly, this is the worst," said Tenten. "Change my luck, damn it! I don't care how!"

"Woof," said something.

"Um..." Tenten looked up. "Tenten halted as a very familiar wolf walked out of the woods. Then another.

"Woof," said one of the wolves.

"Um... that's okay," said Tenten, "it doesn't have to change immediately, I mean..."

Even more, wolves came out of the trees. "Woof."

Tenten hurled the flint and banged a wolf on the head before leaping into the branches. As soon as she was up there, she dived over the wolves and sprinted into the forest, screaming.

"Why is it that no matter where I go, I get chased by wolves!" shouted Tenten, trying to escape the things. "Come on, give a cave or something! One without any wolves in it!"

And, as fate would have it, a cave appeared.

However, as she went through the mouth, he halted and found there weren't any wolves inside it. There were, however, a huge mother bear with her cubs.

"Um... well... I guess it's not technically wolves, but..." began Tenten. "BEAR!"

The bears roared, and Tenten surged out and up a tree as quickly as she could. The wolves whimpered and fled as the bear began to climb the tree after her. Tenten realized she had to do something fast or die. Looking around, she saw what looked like a beehive hanging from the tree where the bear was climbing.

Drawing out her knife, she hurled it to cut through the top, sending it falling down onto the bear. It fell backward, landing with a crash as hornets surged out to begin stinging. Tenten took this opportunity to slide down the tree and keep running.

However, it wasn't long before she saw wolves running alongside her, trying to herd her. Picking one of her pinecones, she hurled one at one of the wolves, knocking it on the side and causing it to fall back. A few more stones drove them off, but she could hear the howls and growls of the things throughout the woods.

Like they were specifically hunting her.

Running for her life, Tenten raced through the trees and abruptly came into what appeared to be a bee farm. Huge numbers of manmade insect farms were resting in rows. There was also a guardhouse where she presumed a beekeeper would have been. But where was he?

Wherever he was, she heard the wolves coming and races through the beehives. Taking a chance, Tenten raced between the hives, trying not to disturb any of them. Fortunately, the insects did not seem interested in her at all. Glancing back, she saw the wolves were hesitant to enter. But already, some were circling around.

They didn't want to disturb the insects, but they'd cut her off as she left.

Tenten thought on her feet and had an idea. Taking out two pinecones, she prayed this would work. Getting a feel for them, she hurled one spinning and then another faster. The first came out to just outside the bee hives before the second hit it. Both went spinning away and bashed into the hives on either side, near the wolves.

Tenten ran.

As she did, all of the hives erupted into violence at once. A vast crowd of insects surged out toward the wolves, which whimpered and fled. Fortunately, the insects near Tenten were slower to respond. By the time they got mad, she was already beyond the borders and sprinting for dear life.

"Hah! Ricochet at it's best! Take that Itachi Uchiha!" said Tenten, sliding to a halt to watch what happened. Huge crowds of insects were rising upward in waves, and one of them landed by her.

"Um... that's a lot of insects," said Tenten.

Then Tenten noticed a cloud of them coming toward her.

"AHHHHH!"

All semblance of a plan left Tenten. She fled through the forest, leaping over logs while trying to escape the clouds. And then she ran into a fast-flowing river. Hearing the buzzing of the insects behind her ears, Tenten leaped into the water. She was hoping they would not follow.

Landing with a splash, she found it cold and was pulled downriver rapidly.

This gave Tenten an idea, and she began to swim with the current. Master Panda had trained her to swim in the lake nearby his home. He'd said it would be useful for running errands, and she ended up moving very swiftly.

Too swiftly, because soon she rounded a corner and saw herself heading toward a waterfall. And in front of the waterfall were rapids with rocks. Tenten realized she'd be dashed against the rocks if she wasn't careful. Turning, she tried swimming against the current to slow her progress, but it wasn't working.

"No, no, no, no, no!" said Tenten.

And then she was pulled out of the water by the scruff of her shirt. She found herself hanging there, looking at the oddest man she'd ever seen. He had very thick eyebrows and a black bowl-cut. His outfit was a pure green jumpsuit, and he was very tall and thin.

"Um... hi?" asked Tenten.

"Well, don't you seem like a youthful young girl?" asked the man. "What's your name?" His voice was boisterous and friendly, which is not the reaction Tenten would expect.

"Oh, um, I'm Tenten," said Tenten.

"Tenten, that's a good name," said the man. "Me, I'm Might Guy. I'm out here on the river training."

"River training?" asked Tenten.

"Yes," said Might Guy. "I walk on the rapids of the water to help with my chakra control. When you've got a limited resource, you've gotta make the most of it. What brings you out here?"

Tenten decided not to mention the insects. "I'm heading for the Leaf?"

"Oh really, why is that?" asked Might Guy.

"Well, my dream has been to become a great ninja," said Tenten. "And I sort of set out, but it's just been one problem after another. Just to get me the equipment, I had to do all kinds of odd jobs, and now I've lost most of it. Nobody supports my efforts. And every step I take, something goes wrong, and I've had to work really hard to get anywhere."

"Perfect, your journey is off to a great start," said Might Guy.

Tenten felt a bit offended at that. "What do you mean? I've been chased by wolves and bears, nearly eaten by insects and nearly drowned."

"But none of those things happened, did they?" asked Might Guy. "And now that you've experienced it, even if you go home now, you'll have a story or two to tell. You're already stronger for what you've done.

"If you think you've got what it takes to be a ninja then you can just tell the Hokage what you've done here. And if you feel like you've had enough and want to go back home, you'll know your own metal.

"It's not the end goal that matters; it's the work you put in to get there."

Tenten... actually felt a bit inspired by that. It was the first piece of positive reinforcement she'd had since she got her. "Wow, um, thanks, mister. Could you stop hanging me over the waterfalls now?"

"Certainly. I'd hate to interrupt your swimming training," said Might Guy.

Tenten blinked. "Wait, it's not training-"

And then Might Guy dropped her off of the waterfall and into the water with a splash. She plunged into the water and floundered to the top.

"Why did you do that?!" said Tenten.

"Sorry not to put you back into the rapids," said Might Guy. "I don't think you're up to the task of that yet. But A for enthusiasm!"

"I HATE MY LIFE!" screamed Tenten as she was carried downriver.

One miserable experience, Tenten managed to get herself onto the shore, crawling up. For a moment, she just lay there, gasping for air. But she knew she had to keep moving, or the cold could get to her. So Tenten pulled herself up and scrambled forward into the woods. She headed in the direction of what she hoped was the path.

"Okay, at least I got out of the river..." said Tenten.

Walking blearily through the trees, she slammed directly into someone who fell forward. However, whoever it was caught himself, turned and took a stance. Tenten looked at him through bleary eyes.

It was a boy about her age. He had long, brown hair and was wearing shorts and a white outfit. On his forehead was a blue bandanna over her head. His eyes were completely blank.

"What was the meaning of that attack?" asked the boy.

"I didn't attack you; I just bumped into you," said Tenten.

The boy halted and gazed around. "I should have been able to see that.

"No matter, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I... well, I got washed downriver while running from wolves," said Tenten. "Then I ended up here. Hey, are there any rabbits I could hunt out here? I'm pretty hungry."

"This domain is a hunting ground of the Hyuga; all the animals within are our property," said the boy. "It would have been a criminal offense to kill them."

"Oh, so uh... do you also own the wolves?" asked Tenten.

"No, the wolf packs are under the dominion of the Inuzuki Clan," said the boy. "They are presented in an all-out manhunt for a spy."

"Spy? What spy?" asked Tenten.

"Some time ago, someone sent the wolves of the Inuzuki into a frenzy, injuring several of them," said the boy. "They then set fire to a significant range of forest. It drew off a significant portion of the ANBU black ops. On my way out this morning, I had heard that they had caused further injury to the Inuzuki packs. They provoked the Abarame swarms against them."

"Shouldn't there have been a guard on the Abarame swarms?" asked Tenten.

"Apparently, he had been distracted when he sensed some of their wild insects under attack. He went to investigate and found they were fighting with a bear. He assumed the bear had attacked them, so he did not hurry back.

"The Leaf Village believes we are facing a team of expert ninja and have put out an alert.

"Ninja are still trying to restore order."

Tenten blinked. That was... not the kind of attention she'd been hoping for. "Oh... oh, I see.

"Well, I um, I'm sure whoever it was had a very good reason for it."

"It was you, wasn't it?" asked the boy.

"What?" said Tenten, going stiff and trying to look casual. "No, it wasn't. I just... um... well, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I find that believable," said the boy. "You do not seem the competent sort."

"What do you mean by that?!" said the boy.

"You may make what judgments you wish on the subject," said Neji. "I will lead you to the Leaf Village if only to prevent you from razing the forest to the ground."

Tenten blinked. "Oh, really. Thanks!"

"Follow me," said the boy.

And he led her through the forest. Tenten had the feeling there was something more to this. "So uh, what's your name anyway?"

"Neji Hyuga," said the boy.

"Oh really," said Tenten. "So um, why are you so sure that there isn't a team of elite ninja out there?"

"One should never attribute to malice what you can to stupidity," said Neji. "There hasn't been a real war in my lifetime. And none of the other great nations have good reason to pick a fight with us at the moment. The ideal time would have been six years ago, during the Hyuga affair.

"If a betrayal was planned, they would have done something far more damaging. And they stand little to gain by injuring a few wolves. It seems far more likely that the guards were careless. And under their watch, you caused the chaos through sheer ineptitude. Certainly, no one would take you seriously to look at you."

"Why you-" Tenten paused. "How many wolves have you outrun?"

"It was a compliment," said Neji. "If anyone should be insulted, it is the teams sent out to get you. They had already made assumptions as to what manner of enemy they were facing. So they missed the culprit completely."

Tenten paused. "Well, what were you doing out here anyway?""

"Watching birds," said Neji.

Tenten blinked. "Huh, I didn't see any birds."

"There were eight of them before you barged in," said Neji. "You merely were not looking for them."

Tenten shifted. "So uh, why so far out to look at birds?"

"I am practicing my Byakugan if you must know," said Neji.

Tenten remembered what she'd read about that. "Right um, that's the legendary eye which sees through walls."

"It sees through everything," said Neji, turning to face her.

"...You're not looking at me, are you?" asked Tenten.

"Of course not," scoffed Neji. "I have not yet fully mastered the technique. When harnessed, the Byakugan gives one the power to see in three hundred and sixty degrees. However, doing so requires immense focus and concentration.

"I was practicing out here, far from distractions while I had an off day from the academy. My goal is to be able to accurately perceive everything around me at all times."

"Do you do this often?" asked Tenten.

"Yes," said Neji.

"Oh good," Tenten said as they came to a path. "You know, I'm planning the join the ninja academy too as soon as I get there. So we'll probably be classmates."

"I find that highly unlikely," said Neji. "You are here some years late for training, so even if you made it, you'd be starting late. And even if you could graduate your classes early, the simple fact is that there is a substantial fee upfront."

"Well, fine, I'll work on the side and make the money I need to pay the fee," said Tenten with a shrug.

"There is also the fact that I will be reporting your escapes directly to the Hokage when we arrive," said Neji.

"What? You're ratting on me!" said Tenten.

"At what point during this conversation did we become comrades?" asked Neji. "I have a duty to explain what I have learned to him. In all honesty, it is probably your only hope of getting your foot in the door."

"What do you mean?" asked Tenten, surprised.

"If you, an outsider, asked the Hokage to give you a position in the academy a year late, you'd never make it," said Neji. "On the other hand, if you describe all you accomplished getting here, it may be enough to warrant training. If only to cover up the humiliation you've dealt the Leaf.

"Of course, he may also fine you for damages done to clan property."

"Fine, I'll pay the fine and work some part-time job. I did it before; I can do it again," said Tenten.

"If you are willing to take the risk, then, by all means, take it," said Neji as they walk. "It doesn't matter to me either way." He paused. "However, if you wish to avoid punishment, I would be willing to let you walk back to wherever it was you came from.

"You might as well-"

"I did not escape ravenous packs of wolves, bears, and poisonous insects to back out now," said Tenten. "I'm at least going to see the Leaf Village before I show up there."

"Then that is your choice," said Neji. "Follow me."

Okay, so there were going to be a few problems down the road. But Tenten was sure she could iron them out. Even if she ended up in prison as a result.


	3. Acceptance

Chapter Three: Acceptance

They walked.

Miraculously no wolves tried to eat them, there were no forest fires, and the skies remained clear. Tenten had to wonder if this was a bad omen, actually. As she kept her hands in her pockets, drying off in the sun, she looked to Neji. "Hey, Neji, why send out ANBU squads?"

Neji paused. "Hmm?"

"For an attack on some wolves and a forest fire?" asked Tenten.

"Forest fires often happen because of battles between ninja," said Neji. "The Uchiha Clan, in particular, is fond of fire style, and some of their teams are out on patrol.

"But, in truth, I do not know. The Hokage often takes action without consulting anyone else. It is his privilege as a leader. It is possible that he thought it might be a foreign invasion.

"If so, we would need ninja on point immediately.

"Overkill is only a bad thing if it is overkill, after all. We have been in a time of peace, so many squads have no tasks to undertake."

Tenten shrugged and decided it wasn't important. She and Neji walked through the trees and finally came to a huge set of gates. On either side of them was a huge forest, and the gates themselves were gigantic. In fact, they were larger than the tallest building in the town Tenten had visited. The doors themselves were of wood but had symbols on them. They were seals to increase the strength of the defense, weren't they?

"Wow, this place is huge! I've never seen buildings this big before!" said Tenten, staring at it in awe.

"Follow me," said Neji. "I will have to okay your presence here with the gate guards."

"You have gate guards?" asked Tenten, feeling her enthusiasm bubble up inside. "Are they ninja as well!" She imagined herself once again, fighting at Lady Tsunade's side with kunai and blade. Oh, maybe the Hokage would get seriously injured, but she'd save his life by healing and, and...

"Obviously," said Neji. "Though the normal guards have been switched out later."

As he arrived, several imposing figures in armor and a mask barred his path. Tenten felt nervous, but Neji moved forward without letting it get to him.

"Neji Hyuga, what are you doing back early?" asked the guard.

"I have someone who wants to be granted access to the academy," said Neji. "She also claims to be the agent the Inuzuka and Abarame have been looking for all this time." Did he have to say it so obviously?

The guard paused. "...Well, where is she?"

"Right there," said Tenten, raising a hand and trying to look bold.

The masked man paused. "Your friend?"

"She is not my friend," said Neji. "And yes."

The guard nodded. "Well, I'll send the message and see what the Hokage says."

One of the masked men raced off at a gesture, and Neji and Tenten waited. Tenten had to wonder if this wasn't a bit too much, too soon. Whether it was good or bad, this seemed too much. "So um... does the Hokage usually meet with children?"

"He usually meets with all ninja squads before dispatching them on missions," said Neji. "Sarutobi tries to be a grandfather to the children of the village."

"Does that include you?" asked Tenten.

"No," said Neji, face expressionless. He didn't talk much, did he?

"Oh," said Tenten. "Um, why not?"

"My family has a history with the Hokage's office," said Neji. "I have chosen to distance myself from him. It would not be appropriate."

At that moment, a woman arrived. She was clad in a tan, long coat, and beneath it seemed to be clad only in nets. She landed with a flash of light, and Tenten hardly looked away. Then she moved forward, bags in her eyes. "Okay, I haven't had enough coffee for this. Bad enough, we've got all these Uchiha on double-shifts, now this.

"You two kids are claiming to be the ones that started that ruckus which got the ANBU called in?"

"No," said Tenten, not wanting to get Neji in trouble. "Just me, I ran into Neji after getting out of the river and escaping the wolves."

"And you're coming to confess to us why?" asked the woman.

Tenten thought about everything that led up to this point. "Well, um... I kind of want to be a ninja."

The woman sighed. "Fine, whatever, follow me, and we'll see what he says. My name is Anko Mitarasihi, and you'll stay behind me."

"I will leave you to it, then," said Neji, turning to walk away.

Abruptly, Anko's hand became five snakes that surged forward. They wrapped around Neji and pulling him back, so they were face to face. "You're coming too."

"But I had nothing to do with this!" said Neji.

"Doesn't matter; we want to debrief you," said Anko, pulling him along. "Now shut up and follow. You too huh... Tenten, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Tenten, wondering how she knew her name. Tenten had never properly introduced herself, after all. Had they been observed since before they arrived?

That was so cool.

As they walked, Tenten saw all kinds of huge buildings with all kinds of people. Most of them had better clothes than those in the villages. Some even wore jewelry, and their hair seemed shinier and better cared for. There were lots of shops she'd never seen before, one of them called a salon. There were places that sold weapons and restaurants. In fact, there were more restaurants than Tenten had ever seen.

"Okay, I'm not supposed to be interrogating you, but why did you pick a fight with the Inuzuka packs?" asked Anko suddenly.

"It was an accident," said Tenten. "I didn't mean to."

Anko laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll hold up in court.

"Then again, you're talking to Sarutobi; it might fly. It did for me."

Tenten wondered what Anko meant by that. But she thought she shouldn't go asking about things that were none of her business. So instead, she stayed silent as they walked until they came to a huge red tower. The only entrance to the tower was on a set of steps leaping around the whole building and ending at the top floor.

Masked men were on patrol around it.

"Do you usually have this kind of security?" asked Tenten.

"It's something that happened this month," said Anko. "Sarutobi is choosing to follow up every lead, no matter how unlikely. Now and then, we act as if we're in a crisis, even when we aren't. It keeps people from getting rusty and gives them employment.

"Now and then, though, we get a real crisis, and then we're glad we jumped at the shadow. Hopefully, that won't happen this time."

"So what's the pretend crisis?" asked Tenten. "It's not me, is it?"

"If I told you that, I'd have to wipe your memory," said Anko. "It's all classified until the details come out."

Up the stairs, they went, and Tenten thought they were very long. Eventually, they went into the building itself and found a wood-paneled interior. It was all very clean, very well kept up. Actually, the entire Leaf Village had been way cleaner than the village.

Tenten wondered why. But this didn't seem the time to ask.

Eventually, Anko led them into a new room, one with a wide floor leading up to a long desk. At the desk, the Hokage was sitting. He was an old man, with skin that was mottled with age, clad in white robes. On either side of him were several older people, an old woman and an old man, looking a little plump. Last of all, on the far side of the table, was a man who had half his face covered in bandages. His skin was darker, and his one visible eye was hard. His clothes were black, a sharp contrast.

All of them had a great deal of paperwork in front of them. Tenten could not help but notice that the man in black was kept on the table's far right. It seemed inconvenient, especially since there was a lot of space between him and the Hokage.

"Hokage, I've got them," said Anko.

The Hokage looked up, and Tenten stood up ramrod straight. This was critical; if she screwed this up, she was dead. Or worse. "Very well, this should be a welcome break from paperwork.

"Anko, send them in."

Tenten and Neji went in together, and Tenten noticed Neji was also ramrodded straight. He'd hidden it. He looked like he was taking it seriously but wasn't trying to take it seriously. Sort of a contradiction, but she wished she could do it.

"So, I'm told you are claiming that you sing sent the Abarame and Inuzuka holdings into chaos. Then you outwitted my ANBU black ops," said the Hokage. "I find this claim somewhat difficult to believe, but I'm willing to hear your case."

"Sarutobi, why are we wasting time on this?" asked the old woman. "Surely, our focus should be on more pressing matters."

"Indeed," said the old man. "Just discipline the brat, and if she is lying, let it be for wasting our time."

Sarutobi looked up at her, and she hesitated. "Permit an old man his entertainments, Koharu. I'm certain we can afford to delay things somewhat. And Homura, surely you have considered that she may not be deserving of punishment.

"Often, an outside perspective is a very valuable thing. Please, girl, go on."

Tenten felt all their eyes on her and began to speak. "Alright, well um, it all started when I ran into Tsunade outside my house and um..."

Tenten told everything, speaking as clearly as she could. Now and then, Homura or Koharu would cut her off to ask some pointed question. But the man in black said absolutely nothing. He kept one hand on a walking stick, watching her carefully.

"Really, Hokage, why should we believe any of this?" asked Koharu. "We have much work to be done and-"

"She is speaking some truth," said the man in black suddenly. "Or have the two of you not paid attention to the one who is speaking. Neji Hyuga attests that she arrived wet from the river, and her clothes show their signs. She has cuts and bruises and stains of dirt as well.

"All of these things demonstrate that some of what she described happened. If you were not in such haste to dismiss her, you might have noticed these things."

"That only gives indications that not all of her story is lies," said Koharu. "The kind of chaos she described should not have been possible for a mere child. Not one without training anyway."

"On the contrary," said Sarutobi. "Her description is entirely credible. It would have been done by an ordinary person. And that ordinary person could have been overlooked because we anticipated a ninja. And of particular note is Guy.

"An ordinary person would be unlikely to know the trains in that location. Nor that he would be doing so today. Nor would they be able to describe his somewhat eccentric mannerisms so well.

"Of course, they would have to be a very good shot."

"Give me a target, and I'll show you," said Tenten before she could stop herself.

Sarutobi nodded. "Very well then... what is your name again?"

"Tenten, Hokage," said the girl.

"Very well, I'll give you the chance to prove your claims," said Sarutobi. "Koharu, Danzo, Homura, you can arrange the details of the reinforcements without me."

"It shall be done, Sarutobi," said Danzo.

Sarutobi stood up and walked out, and Tenten saw there was a grace to his movements. He showed no signs of injury or slowness from age. And Tenten realized that he must have been the oldest person she'd ever met. In fact, everyone in this room was ancient.

They had to have seen the Second Shinobi War, to say nothing of the Third.

"Follow me," said Sarutobi. "You as well, Neji."

"But I-" began Neji. "Yes, Hokage."

The Hokage walked at a leisurely pace, and Tenten walked beside him, feeling a little odd. He seemed a little different than he had been. As they walked, he asked Tenten many questions. Some of them were odd, like how she'd gotten the idea to do odd jobs and pay for her equipment. Others had more to do with the woods she had come from. "I'd apologize for my friends. My comrades mean well. However, I fear that they've lost track of the importance of people as a resource in old age.

"Tell me, where did you learn to throw kunai?"

"Well, I can throw anything," said Tenten. "I was taught to do it by Master Panda. He's a blacksmith who lives in the woods. And he trained me to test his weapons. I was always good at throwing kunai."

"Master Panda?" mused Sarutobi. "Is he a literal panda, or does the name merely symbolize something?"

"No, he's a literal panda and eats a lot of bamboos," said Tenten. "I uh... he always says he sells weapons to ninja to make a profit."

"Well, I have not heard of him," said Sarutobi. "But, then even I cannot know every individual person in the Leaf. Let alone the surrounding lands. Come, let's walk in silence."

They soon came to a large building and went to a nearby academy. There, Sarutobi left them into a practice range. Numerous target dummies were standing by, and a class looked to be using them. Their teacher was a man with a topknot and a green flack jacket.

"Welcome to the academy," said Sarutobi.

The man in the flack jacket saw Sarutobi and quickly moved over to him. "Hokage, what brings you here?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your target practice lessons, Iruka," said Sarutobi. "However, I'm going to have to burrow a lane."

"Of course, I'll have one set aside," said Iruka. "If you wish, I could clear away the students. We could pick up class later."

"Hmm, no, no need for that," said Sarutobi. "I'd hate to inconvenience them."

As Sarutobi led Tenten to one of the lanes at the far end, a blonde-haired boy in orange looked at them. "Who's that girl? Is she joining the academy?"

"That remains to be seen, Naruto," said Sarutobi. "Now, Tenten, please demonstrate these vaunted skills on the targets." And he offered her a set of kunai.

"Alright then," said Tenten.

Then, grabbing two kunai, she spun them around in her hands before hurling both. She caught the target where the eyes would have been. Another got it in the heart, another in the ground. Once done, she tossed one forward slow and tossed another to hit it behind. Both shot off in opposite directions and caught the target in the hands. With a number of kunai, Tenten proceeded to shoot a smiley face into the stomach of the target.

Tenten waited for a response and looked up to see everyone staring. Sarutobi looked mildly impressed, and everyone else was gawking.

"Huh, she's pretty good," said a blonde girl.

"My Dad always had me test the targets with his kunai so he'd know how well they threw," said Tenten. "See, I'd practice between delivering shipments from the forest to the outside world."

"What kind of blacksmith lives out in the woods?" asked Neji.

"I..." Tenten paused and realized she hadn't considered that. "Well, I guess Master Panda doesn't like people and does like bamboo, so..."

"It is not presently relevant," said Sarutobi, removing a pipe from his mouth. "Well, I'm convinced.

"Congratulations are in order, Tenten. You've proven you are capable of performing the crime you are admitting to."

"Crime?" asked Naruto. "What crime? Is she a criminal? Did she do some sort of prank-"

"Naruto, don't interrupt the Hokage, kindly," said Iruka quickly.

"Yeah, you're gonna get us in trouble, Naruto," said a pink-haired girl, before whacking him across the face. "Stop being such a moron."

"Sorry, Sakura," said Naruto.

Tenten felt like she ought to speak out about this but then thought it wasn't really her place. Wasn't anyone going to do anything about that? Well, apparently not, since Sakura then hurled a kunai and caught a bullseye.

"Sasuke, did you see that?" asked Sakura. "I made it into the ring next to the bullseye!"

Whoever Sasuke was, he didn't respond, so Tenten couldn't pick him out.

"Now you're making as much noise as Naruto, Sakura," said the blonde girl.

"Oh, um... sorry, Ino," said Sakura quickly.

"Don't worry about it," said Ino. "Watch this."

She hurled a kunai, only for it to miss.

"You appear to have missed completely," said a boy in a jacket with sunglasses.

"I uh... alright fine, so I didn't make that shot very well," said Ino.

At that moment, a pale-skinned, dark-haired boy came forward with his kunai. "Let me do it."

Tenten watched as the dark-haired boy hurled a whole set of kunai. Every single one of them landed in the heart and head region. Eh, six out of ten.

But then cheers went through the girls, and Tenten felt a bit offended.

"Yes! Go Sasuke, you're the best!" said Ino.

"What?" said Tenten. "But I just completely upstaged him."

Then she looked up to the Hokage, who was smiling. Tenten realized that Sarutobi had used her as an excuse to come here and observe. But at the same time, he had been observing her observe. That was some serious multitasking.

"...Perhaps we should move to somewhere we won't be eavesdropping?" asked Sarutobi.

"Yeah, let's do that," said Neji.

They moved out of the academy and into what appeared to be a park. Sarutobi walked, admiring the view. "Now then, I suppose the next question is why you are admitting to what you did."

Tenten paused. "Um, well, it was an accident. I didn't mean to run into those wolves, and they were trying to eat me."

"Well, what were you doing picking a fight with wolves, to begin with?" asked Neji.

"I was... lost," said Tenten. "See, I was trying to get to the Leaf Village so I could ask to join the academy, and I got off my right road. It started raining, so I went into a cave to get shelter, but there werewolves inside. So I made a run for it and climbed a tree and..."

"So you did all that?" mused Sarutobi. "I don't think you are trying to deceive me, so I must admit it seems likely you are telling the truth. Why are you here, then?"

"I want to become a ninja, like the Great Ninja Tsunade!" said Tenten quickly.

Sarutobi nodded. "A worthy desire, I suppose.

"Still, you have caused injury to Inuzuka and Abarame property. But, I do not take you for a troublemaker. Rather I think you are a bright young girl who got into trouble. Danzo will likely believe you are a spy, of course, but that is in his nature.

"If all enemy spies were like you, perhaps you could just offer them a job and achieve world peace.

"So I have made my decision on the subject. I think it is only fair that you be obligated to pay for the injuries that the wolves sustained during your... adventures. However, in light of her financial situation, I am willing to loan you the money for repayment."

"Really?" asked Tenten. Granted, she was going to have to pay off major debt, but it was a start.

"Yes, and I won't be expecting you to begin repaying it. Not until after you either graduate or wash out of the academy," said Sarutobi.

"You're letting me into the academy?" asked Tenten.

"Of course," said Sarutobi. "I'd hate for you to have come all this way for nothing. But be warned, the way of the ninja is hard and will take a great deal of discipline. You will be starting late, and so you will have to work even harder to keep up."

"Thank you, Hokage, I promise you you won't regret this," said Tenten.

"I'm sure I won't," said Sarutobi. "Now, I suppose you'll be in need of lodging. I believe I can set you up with an apartment for now. However, you will have to pay for your lodging once you have disposable income."

"I understand," said Tenten. "Can I get the bill? I'd like to pay it off early."

"I'll make those arrangements as well," said Sarutobi. "Now, if you'll come with me, I'll arrange for your lodging and entry into the academy. That should get me the rest of the day off.

"I recommend you find a part-time job if you want to pay off your debt."

"But Hokage," said Tenten. "I don't want to take you away from your business."

"Oh, don't concern yourself with it," said Sarutobi. "The Leaf has been in negotiation with a particular party for years. Neither side wants a conflict, but neither side is willing to give anything up. And it's been going on for so long that if either side relents, they'll look weak. But at the same time, both parties need the other. So we can't just break off relations and go our separate ways.

"I've been trying to break the deadlock for years in a way that benefits all involved. And I think I just found a solution."

"What?" said Tenten. "What do you mean?"

"Taking a walk and a bit of rest can often provide a solution when one is stressed," said Sarutobi, smoking his pipe. "Right this way."

Tenten had no idea what was going on.

Then again, it probably wasn't any of her business, to begin with. So she focused on thinking about how she'd pay off the debt.


	4. Class Begins

Chapter Four: Class Begins

Tenten got up within her apartment.

She'd spent the last few days putting everything in order for her stay at the Leaf. Sarutobi had given her a one-room apartment. It had a kitchen over to one corner, and a sofa, and one bed. Tenten had quickly bought herself some basic foodstuff, mostly stuff that was on sale. Now she was cooking an egg while getting dressed.

She'd taken a shower first thing, so she was good.

As she put on her clothes, she checked on the egg she was cooking. By the time she finished up, the eggs were nearly done, and she turned off the stove. Pouring herself a glass of milk, Tenten quickly put the egg onto a plate. Eating quickly, she immediately washed the silverware and then swept up.

Done.

Tenten then headed out for school the next day, looking forward to it. She walked with her pack, making her way through the streets. At last, she reached the academy and entered the halls. As she walked through the halls, Tenten thought about her plans. "Alright, I'm finally here for my first day at ninja school. Now, Tenten, you're entering late, so you'll be older than the others. But that just means you have more life experience.

"So, you'll take your lessons seriously, work hard, and then go to street cleaning. Once you're done with that, you'll read at the library. Right, I've got it all planned out.

"Now, if I keep at this, nothing will-"

Tenten opened the door to her classroom, and an eraser fell onto her head, dousing her in chalk. Laughter ensued. Yeah, this was a great start.

"Hahahaha!" laughed Naruto. "You fell for it; I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

"What book?" asked Tenten, moving forward. "I didn't read any book about-" A prank. "Very funny."

Well, this was off to a good start.

"I was hoping to catch Iruka-sensei with that, but you make a good target too," said Naruto.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, loser," snapped Tenten, now in a bad mood. "Some of us spend our time studying instead of stupid pranks. If you put the effort you had into making that prank into doing your appointed task, you might not be the class clown." She almost said worse but decided it wouldn't help situations. The boy flinched at the words, but she took her seat and put out her books. These were on loan from the Hokage, so she'd have to pay them back eventually, too.

"Oh yeah, that's pretty rich, new girl," said someone; Tenten didn't know or care who. "You're like twice our age, and you've only just started. I'll bet you even weaker than that loser, Naruto."

"Don't put a kunai through his eye, don't put a kunai through his eye, don't put a kunai through his eye..." murmured Tenten.

At that moment, the door opened and Iruka, or Iruka-sensei Tenten supposed, strode in. Instantly, all semblance of mockery disappeared. His eyes scanned over the eraser and picked it up. "Am I missing something?"

"I... oh Iruka-sensei, you're here. I uh..." Naruto halted.

"All of you sit down and no more of this," said Iruka. "Now, joining us today is Tenten. She is a year older than all of you; however, she has been deemed qualified to start late. I expect all of you to show her the proper respect as a fellow student.

"For a start, we'll begin with some basic theories of chakra."

Tenten had to admit, Iruka ran a tight ship. Several times Naruto stood up to try and pull something, but Iruka would often appear and shut him down flat. Tossed notes got caught by Iruka without him even looking up.

Not that Tenten had anything to do with it, she was paying attention. Or trying to, actually. It was... difficult. Basic theories of chakra were, to put it mildly, boring. Apparently, chakra had been an inherent part of every creature in the world since who knew when. The most interesting part though, was certain legends about the origins of chakra.

"Iruka-sensei," said Tenten. "This Rabbit Goddess Kaguya, um, do we actually know she existed?"

"I'm afraid not," said Iruka. "What we know about her is incomplete information. It is mostly scattered references in ancient histories. We know that the Sage of Six Paths existed, and he made reference to her at several points in his writings.

"However, we've nothing to indicate that she was the all-powerful Goddess legend claim her to be. It's conceivable that she was a very powerful warrior who was later raised to deity status. Records of that period are scattered at best."

"Maybe she was like, an alien!" said an overweight boy between munching on crisps. "And like, she came to this place planning to protect it from an even bigger alien invasion! And she like, gave out her chakra to the entire world, and then tried to take it back-"

"Choji, that is ridiculous," said Ino.

"Why?" asked Choji.

"Well, you see uh..." Ino paused. "It's because... Sakura, tell him why it's ridiculous. I mean, we both know why."

"Historically speaking, defenseless nations are eaten by powerful ones very quickly," said Sakura. "Regardless of how well you negotiate, if you can't fight back, the bad actors in the other nation have no fear of you. If your enemy regards you as a joke, they won't hesitate to destroy you.

"Just look at the Land of the Rain. It had a weak military and bordered numerous strong nations. As a result, it became a failed state until the Cult of Pain."

"Wait a minute," said Naruto. "Sakura, I thought uh... Hanzo ruled the Land of the Rain, didn't he? I mean, you helped me with that test and-"

"Hanzo is the head of state, Naruto," said Sakura. "But the Cult of Pain is a religious organization that he used to propel him to that level. It gave him a justification to use any and all means to defeat his opponents.

"See, the worshippers of Pain believe that their God provides instruction through suffering. And that by having agony inflicted on them, people grow up and become better people. So by that basis, Hanzo could be as violent and brutal as he wanted and still be justified since he was doing Pain's work.

"Although he hasn't made any public appearances in recent years. And the Cult of Pain is pretty much running the country these days. So he might have died or been sidelined by his own cult. I think that his tendency to purge organizations the Cult of Pain liked backfired when-"

"And that's enough," said Iruka. "Sakura, I appreciate your interest in history. But our subject matter is currently chakra. You can theorize to Naruto about the geopolitical rise and of brutal despots later."

"But Iruka-sensei, I was interested!" said Naruto.

"Then talk to her about it later," said Iruka. "Sakura, perhaps you should make your original point about the aliens so we can move on?"

"Right," said Sakura. "Um, my point was that if there was a race of all-powerful alien gods who knew about us, they would have invaded a long time ago. It's far more likely the Kaguya was a Goddess, an ordinary person, or just flat out didn't exist."

"Well, why are we even talking about this, then?" asked Tenten. "Why is it in the textbook on chakra basics if it has no relation and we don't even know it really existed?"

"Can you tell me that?" asked Iruka.

Tenten paused and considered it for a moment. Before she could speak, however, Sasuke over to one side raised a hand. Iruka pointed to him. "Yes, Sasuke, what is it?"

"It's a motivational tool," said Sasuke. "Ninja are supposed to think about their opponents. All the scientific stuff before this was incredibly dry. So they added in the legends about the origin of chakra to catch people's interest."

"Exactly, Sasuke," said Iruka-sensei. "Keeping a class of people interested is difficult. So going into the legends surrounding chakra is a much more interesting way to start the class.

"So, now that the interesting part is over with, turn to the next page, and we'll read about chakra flows."

"Ugh," murmured a boy with a top-knot. "This is such a drag."

"You say that about everything, Shikamaru!" said Ino.

Chakra flows turned out to be a lot less interesting than the Goddess Kaguya. Tenten read as she did, listening to Iruka's explanation of various matters.

"Ugh, this is a lot less interesting than anything I'm used to," murmured Tenten. Even so, she took notes as Master Panda had taught her. "I don't even know what half of those words mean, but I'd better take notes anyway. Hmm, looks like not many people are taking notes." It was true, Sakura was taking notes, and Ino was reading them.

Sasuke seemed to be reading the textbook but was obviously bored by it. Most of the class seemed to regard this class as a boring thing you had to get through to get to the interesting bits. Didn't they realize this stuff was important too? They wouldn't be teaching it if it didn't have relevance.

And then Tenten saw Naruto folding up a paper airplane.

"Is that... a paper airplane?" thought Tenten to herself. "Oh, no, he is not derailing this class again, is he?"

Naruto hurled it with expert accuracy. But Iruka-sensei disappeared into a puff of smoke moments before it hit. Naruto flinched, and then he realized Iruka-sensei was behind him.

"Naruto did you throw that?" asked Iruka-sensei.

Naruto stood up nervously. "Yeah, yeah, I'll just head outside-"

"No, Naruto, that isn't going to work this time," said Iruka. "You aren't going to be rewarded for disrupting this class. Sit over there in the corner; the desk doesn't have any paper in it for you to misuse. I set it up this morning. You never take notes anyway, so you can just read with us. Or don't read.

"Now try and pay attention, this may be boring, but it is important."

Naruto leaned forward, miserable, and walked over to the desk. "Yes, Iruka-sensei."

Tenten had to admit, Iruka-sensei was pretty damn cool. Even so, Tenten had to admit she was less than impressed with the class. Most of them didn't even realize how good they had it to have someone pay for school for them. Instead, they were treating it like some sort of punishment.

"Hmm, so, fatso isn't paying attention. Shikamaru is sleeping; the rest of them are bored," mused Tenten to herself. "The only people taking notes other than me is Sakura and Ino.

"What a bunch of morons.

"Do they even realize how privileged they are to be in here? We didn't have anything like this where I was from."

That class ended, and another began.

This one was taijutsu, and everyone seemed more enthusiastic about it—everyone except Shikamaru, who talked about how it was a drag. Tenten, for her part, listened to Mizuki's instructions and followed them to the letter.

Even so, she had to be corrected in a lot of her stances.

"Look at her; she's only learning the basic movements just now. What a loser," said a meaningless naysayer. People who lived life with a perpetual sneer on their face were pathetic. They had to tear down others because they couldn't build a thing for themselves.

Tenten knew without looking that whoever it was wouldn't graduate with flying colors. People who put their energy into making others feel bad didn't have any left to build themselves up.

'Just ignore the meaningless distractions, and they'll go away,' thought Tenten.

Strangely enough, Tenten found her gaze drawn to Sasuke as he practiced his taijutsu, and he was good. He was performing his movements perfectly, striking and kicking with fluid grace. It was obvious he was putting a lot of work into it, and Tenten was beginning to see why Ino and Sakura were into him.

Not that Tenten liked him or anything. Wait, that thought process was completely out of character for Tenten. What was going on here?

"You're not going to have a crush on Sasuke too, are you?" asked Naruto to one side.

"What, no, not at all. I'm not even sticking around this class any longer than I have to," said Tenten. "My plan is to graduate to the next one early, once I have things down."

"Oh good, everyone seems to have a crush on Sasuke," said Naruto. "I don't know what they see in him?"

"Well, he is performing his movements perfectly," said Tenten.

"He's not that great," said Naruto.

"He's a lot better than you, so you're acting jealous," said Tenten.

"I'm not jealous," said Naruto.

"Yes, you are," said Tenten. "You're trying to get attention by pulling stupid pranks. Imagine what you could be using that time for instead. You didn't hear a word our sensei said in there, and now you're trying to distract me."

"No, I'm not," said Naruto. "Taijutsu is my best class."

"Oh really?" asked Tenten. "Well, your stance is all wrong."

"Huh," said Naruto. "But Mizuki-sensei said I was doing fine. Are you sure?"

"Look, I'm not your teacher," said Tenten. "I can't correct you because I'm only just learning. You probably misunderstood his instructions. So why don't you call over Mizuki and ask for him to set you straight."

"Right, um..." Naruto paused. "Mizuki-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, am I doing this right?"

Mizuki came forward, brushing aside the strands of his hair, and looked at Naruto's stance. It was completely wrong. His glance went to the class, which we're now looking in his direction. All of them saw that Naruto's stance was wrong.

"Hmm," said Mizuki. "You seem to have gotten my instructions mixed up, Naruto. Let me straighten you out." And he did just that, pointing out a number of critical errors that even Tenten could pick up. Then Mizuki looked to Tenten.

"Hmm, your stance needs adjustment, Tenten. Shift your foot a little back, no a little forward," said Mizuki. "Good work. Now keep it up."

"Thank you, Mizuki-sensei," said Tenten.

"You just lost your stance," said Mizuki.

"Sorry," said Tenten.

Tenten had already decided that Naruto was not very bright at best. So she kept waiting for him to complete mess his stance up. Except he didn't. Naruto just kept following the motions. Now and then, he'd ask Mizuki-sensei to help him, and Mizuki-sensei would point things out.

The rest of the class was weirded out by this. Tenten could tell by the way they were glancing over. What was going on here?

Naruto was obviously doing better in training than he ever had before. And everyone was weirded out here. Had Mizuki-sensei really missed those holes all this time? But nobody else seemed to be having the same level of screwups. Even Sakura got chided and responded now and then. And she wasn't putting nearly as much work in.

Then Tenten noticed it. It came to her around the fifth time Naruto asked for guidance, and Mizuki came over in frustration.

Mizuki never once gave Naruto any instructions without prompting. He smiled at him and pretended to treat him like the other students. But Naruto had largely been imitating the others. Mizuki seemed outright angry as he strode over, though he tried to hide it.

But if Mizuki were sabotaging Naruto, why would he correct him?

Because everyone was here to see it.

If the rest of the students caught Mizuki teaching Naruto wrong, one of two things would happen. They'd think they'd got it wrong and changed to fit the bad teaching, which could lose Mizuki's job. Or they'd see that Mizuki was sabotaging Naruto.

But why?

Was it just Tenten? Was she reading too much into it?

Either way, there was nothing Tenten could actually do about it. Nobody would believe her if she told them. So the most she could do was suggest Naruto ask for help, which he was doing. Really, Naruto wasn't that stupid. He could figure it out on his own, and it wasn't Tenten's problem anyway.

The good news was that most of the class were not taking their lessons seriously like Tenten. The weren't working on this as their livelihoods depended on it. They didn't realize the stakes. But Tenten did. When recess came, Tenten spent it reading about chakra meditation techniques. Apparently, they helped a person with jutsu. She ate her lunch and went back to reading. The good news was that food was provided by the academy, so that was one less expense.

During target practice, she worked on trick shots. Everyone else was working on getting a bullseye. Even Sasuke looked at her with some surprise as she made one shot after another. Tenten forced herself to make the most of every waking moment. If she went beyond her goals, she pushed on to get to a further goal.

No rest for the weary.

After classes concluded, Tenten moved through the halls. She found Iruka-sensei in his office and knocked. She knocked before entering. "Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, Tenten, what is it?" asked Iruka-sensei.

"Can I borrow a mop and bucket?" asked Tenten. "I need it to clean the streets outside some shops."

Iruka blinked. "Is that necessary? Citizens of the Leaf are expected to clean the area outside of them. It's the only way we keep the streets clean. Everyone has to pitch in."

"Exactly, it's a market opportunity," said Tenten. "I'll do the work for them for a bit of payment. But I need a mop and bucket, and I forgot to bring mine from home." She wouldn't make that mistake again.

Iruka-sensei. "Well, if you need the money, I guess I could let you borrow it."

"Thanks," said Tenten.

Then she rushed out. Tenten came up behind Ino while she was walking after she'd broken off from Sakura. "Hey, um, Ino, right?"

"Yes, you're the new girl?" asked Ino, blinking. "Why'd you start late anyway? And why are you carrying a mop and bucket?"

"I didn't get the chance to come here before," said Tenten. "Hey, I was wondering if you needed any help cleaning the streets outside your home. I could do it for you for a low price."

"Okay, um... are you desperate for cash?" asked Ino.

"Actually yes," said Tenten. "I'm paying my time for the academy by doing work for people. And I've got some debts to pay off."

"Well, Mom wanted me to do it," mused Ino. "But I guess giving you a bit of my allowance to do it for me might count as delegating. Okay, how much."

A deal was made.

Tenten set to work cleaning up the street outside Ino's home right away. Using the mop and bucket, she was able to get the place clean. But she was certain to get all the corners and do the extra work. Looking in through the window, Tenten noticed that Ino's home doubled as a flower shop.

Odd. She'd heard in conversation that the Yamanaka Clan were important. Part of a trio of clans, the Nara, the Akimichi, and the Yamanaka. Individually, they were not powerful. But together, they had formed a block that was comparable to the Uchiha and Hyuga.

But, it was none of Tenten's business.

In the end, she finished the job and got her payment before moving on to make the offer to the nearby houses. Some of them accepted, others refused, but Tenten managed to get paid several times. By the time the light started waning, she'd made a decent profit.

Deciding that she needed rest, Tenten returned the mop and bucket to the school.

Once done, Tenten heard a shout of rage on her way back, and someone called Naruto's name. Sensing an opportunity, she ran ahead. A store owner was standing in front of a building that was covered in paint.

"That little brat Naruto has painted all over my store!" said the man. "He's vandalized three houses!"

Tenten smiled. In hardship, opportunity. "Excuse me, would you like me to clean that up for you? I can do it for a low price. All I ask is a small but reasonable fee and the tools to do it."

The man looked up. "Alright, I could use the help. If I don't get all this off my store soon, it could cut into my business. I need it off by the end of the day."

"Yes, sir, I'll see it cleaned off in record time or your money back," said Tenten.

Getting it all off was hard.

Very hard.

Tenten had to work nonstop for her remaining time, racing against the clock to get every bit of paint off. But, in the end, she managed it and got paid extra. She also gained a new appreciation for why Naruto was disliked.

"Thank you for your help, young lady," said the store owner. "That rascal has been nothing but a plague on this town since he was born."

"Since he was born?" asked Tenten. "How is that possible?"

The man went pale for a moment and looked like he'd had a narrow escape. "...Nevermind, we're not allowed to talk about it. There are some uh... reasons, I assure you. Here's your payment?"

"Where are his parents anyway?" asked Tenten.

"He doesn't have any," said the man. "The Hokage gave him a stipend that he uses to live. It's way larger than most war orphans get. Paid for his entrance to the academy too."

Wait a minute, so Tenten was having to work herself nonstop to put herself through the academy? And she was having to pay off a huge debt for something she did by accident. But Naruto was being paid for in full, complete with living expenses. He wasn't even suffering any consequences for deliberate vandalism.

"Thanks, sir. I'll be back," said Tenten.

What the hell was going on here?!

Then again, if Naruto hadn't painted those buildings, Tenten would not know about any of this. She'd also be poorer and have less of a reputation. So his loss was her gain, to be honest. Tenten walked through the streets in the waning light. Eventually, she saw Naruto eating ramen at a stand called Ichiraku Ramen.

The food they were serving at the stand looked so good. And he seemed to be getting on with the person in charge. She almost went up to him. But then Tenten thought about how it would look if she ate ramen with Naruto after what he did. People might think she'd set it up. And it wouldn't be right in any case, it would be like drinking with an enemy agent.

Also, she'd made a lot of money.

And eating out would take away from that money. "No! I will resist temptation."

So Tenten turned her back on Ichiraku Ramen and Naruto and walked away. As she did, she stuck her hands in her pockets. "Okay, Tenten, let's set some ground rules.

"No eating out at all. I'll go out and purchase some cheap but healthy good and cook it for myself: no spending any time socializing or anything else. I'm going to work at this nonstop until I catch up to the rest.

"No one is going to stop me from surpassing them all! No one!"

Victory would be hers!

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, glad people are enjoying the fic. Sorry if there hasn't been a lot of action so far. Tenten is still in training, and there hasn't been a logical place to put it in yet.

Just so everyone knows, I base which fics I prioritize on which ones get the most response. So if you want me to focus on this fic, leave a review to tell me what you think.

On a separate note, I am presently slogging through the War Arc of Naruto. So if Kaguya was completely unknown in the ninja world, tell me so I can correct it. I figured it would make sense to be some ancient legends about her, at least. But if there being a few legends about her somehow completely breaks canon, please inform me.


	5. Graduation Day

Tenten leaped in triumph as she finished counting. "Alright! I finally made it!

"After three months of hard work, I have finally amassed the money I need to pay off my debt to the Inuzuka Clan. Now I just need to get it there." Picking up the box, she struggled to pick it up. Nearly swaying several times. "Geeze, uh... this is really heavy."

Moving the box across the room was hard. Even if there wasn't any furniture other than one chair, one table, and one bed.

Moving it across the village was far harder.

Tenten lugged the case she'd bought to hold the money through the streets. Now and then, she had to put it down and pant for breath. People gave her weird looks now and then, but she ignored them. Tenten wasn't going to get stopped here, not for anything.

On she went, wishing Lee and Neji weren't sparring a ways away.

Eventually, Tenten got to the Hokage office and saw the stairs. With a long sigh, Tenten began to pull herself up little by little. By the time she got to the office, Tenten was soaked in sweat and sighed. Anko was standing as a guard to one side.

"Excuse me?" asked Tenten.

Anko looked up. "Yeah, what do you want, kid?"

"I kind of need to talk to the Hokage," said Tenten, breathing hard. "I have his money, the amount I owe the Inuzuka Clan?"

"Already?" said Anko. "Alright, but this better not be a prank."

"Don't worry, I'm responsible," said Tenten, standing up street. "I'd never waste my sensei's time, let alone the Hokage's.

"Well, not knowingly anyway."

"Let me see," said Anko, taking the box, setting it on the desk, and opening it. She then began counting through it. "Huh, this is what you owe them. How did you get all this?

"You didn't steal it, did you?"

"No, no, I've just been doing a lot of part-time jobs, living on the margins and training nonstop at the academy," said Tenten. "It's all one hundred percent legit, I promise you." Why would they think she'd stolen it?

"Fine, I'll take it to him," said Anko with a sigh. "But if you did steal this, we will find out."

What, so everyone just assumed Tenten must have stolen it? She'd earned this fair and square. As Anko began to make her way out with the money, Tenten blinked. "Um, shouldn't I go in with you?"

"To see the Hokage?" asked Anko. "Sorry, kid, maybe graduates from the academy, then we'll talk."

Tenten sat down in the waiting room and sighed despondently. "Well, I guess they can't afford to give anyone special treatment."

But it was still there.

Tenten had done things no one else in her class had done, with none of the advantages. But nobody seemed to be giving her any respect. At that moment, the door opened, and Naruto Uzumaki was shoved out into the hall by Anko.

"Out, now!" said Anko.

"What, but the Hokage said I could stay in his office and do my studying-" began Naruto.

"Great, whatever, I'm not the Hokage, and I've got a report to make," said Anko. "You can come back in here when I'm done." And she shut the door.

"But-" Naruto sighed. "That crazy lady gives me the creeps.

"She's pretty hot, though. Oh, Tenten, you're here."

"Yes, that's me," said Tenten, feeling all the more irritated. Why did Naruto rank being able to study inside the Hokage's office?

"What are you doing all the way out here?" asked Naruto.

"I'm paying off the fee for being allowed to go to the academy. What are you doing here?" asked Tenten.

"Oh um, I was kind of bored, so I figured I'd go see how the Old Man was doing," said Naruto, hands in his pockets.

"Oh, really," said Tenten. "Why does he have time for you?"

"I dunno," said Naruto with a shrug, walking out. "Mostly, he just lets me hang out in his office. I don't really need much of a reason."

"Ah, which clan are you from?" asked Tenten, curious.

Naruto paused and looked at her in what might have been shocking and confused. "Me? You want to know about me?"

"I asked, didn't I?" asked Tenten, annoyed now.

"Oh, I guess I'm from a family called Uzumaki," said Naruto. "But I'm an orphan; the Old Man gives me a stipend."

"Oh, I see," said Tenten, clenching one fist in sudden fury, and then releasing it. "I am an orphan as well."

"Well anyway, I think I'm going to go paint some walls red or something. That'll be fun," said Naruto, going to the door. "Um... do you want to come with me?"

"No," said Tenten. "No, I do not."

Naruto nodded. "Right, yeah, I kind of figured you'd say that.

"Well, see you in class, I guess."

And he walked out, smiling widely. Had he not seen Tenten's barely contained fury? Tenten stood up and brought back afoot, ready to kick the trash can. However, she took a few deep breaths. "No, no, don't destroy property, just calm yourself and wait."

So Tenten waited, waited, and wondered just why Naruto warranted all this when he was an orphan. Was it because he was born in the Leaf? Or had his parents been someone important? But if his parents were someone important, why would everyone hate him? Wouldn't he have important relatives or been adopted by a clan?

Either way, Anko came back into the room. She had the box with her, and it was empty. "Okay, good news, the money is received, and the Hokage wants you to get the rest to him as soon as possible."

Tenten stood up and blinked. "What? That's it?"

"That's it," said Anko, tossing the chest to her. "Now, get out of the office."

Tenten nodded and left, feeling more than a little bitter. They were acting as if getting all that money had been easy. "I was hoping someone would at least be a little impressed. I wasn't even going to have to pay up for years. Ah well, maybe they'll save the praise for when I get the money to pay off the Abarame Clan.

"Well, either way, a month or two of work should do that. For now, I need to get dressed and head to the academy. I don't want to be late for my exams."

And off Tenten went, taking the case with her to the academy. She managed to cross the village quickly and slid to a halt soon. She wished she could have gotten dressed up, but she'd been using the same two outfits this whole time. They were getting really worn out, actually.

Iruka-sensei was waiting at the door. "Hmm, Tenten, you're right on time.

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised you decided to take these exams so quickly."

"Well, I want to get back to the grade I ought to be in. So um, am I alone?" asked Tenten.

"Yes, but we've got one other person we're waiting for," said Iruka-sensei, voice annoyed.

"Oh really, who is it, Sasuke?" asked Tenten.

"Actually, Sasuke has been specifically forbidden from entering the exam early. His mother wants him to learn everything he can at this grade," said Iruka-sensei. "You see, his older brother Itachi entered the military at a very young age. And he has... questionable stability.

"It's Naruto who is taking the exam."

"Naruto?!" said Tenten incredulously. "But he hardly puts any work in at all."

"In fairness, he's gotten far better grades recently," said Iruka-sensei. "He means well, he just... well, he has some issues."

Tenten was not impressed. "Yeah, I've got issues too, but I actually showed up on time."

"Give him a bit longer," said Iruka-sensei. "This is important to him."

And so Tenten and Iruka-sensei waited, until, about ten minutes later, Naruto ran into place. He looked like he had been painting something. Which meant more work for Tenten. "Alright, Iruka-sensei! I'm here!"

"Finally," said Iruka-sensei. "Naruto, you really should try to be on time for these things, you know. We've had to wait for you."

"Sorry, I uh... overslept," said Naruto.

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon!" said Tenten.

"Well, sorry if I'm not too big on a bunch of math work before I graduate early," said Naruto.

"Settle down, you two," said Iruka-sensei. "Let's get to the test."

And off they went into a room with judges. They were tested in their taijutsu stances. Naruto seemed to have gotten very good at taijutsu; his stance was... well, it was almost flawless. Or Tenten hadn't noticed anything.

Had he learned that quickly?

"Tenten, can you demonstrate to me the movements for a clone jutsu," said Iruka-sensei.

"Yes, sensei," said Tenten, quickly demonstrating it.

Iruka-sensei nodded. "Perfect, you've been practicing. Naruto, you try."

Naruto gave it a try, and Tenten noticed he was way better than he had been when she'd started. Many of the movements he made were far better. Had he been asking for help from other instructors? But how had he gotten so much better so quickly?

"Your technique is sloppy, Naruto," said Iruka-sensei. "Have you ever been practicing with those books I gave you?"

"I've been trying, sensei," said Naruto.

"Well, you've improved," said Iruka-sensei. "But you've got more work to do. Do it again."

"Why are we even practicing the movements when we haven't even learned jutsu?" asked Naruto.

Iruka-sensei sighed. "Naruto, there are two components to any jutsu. One of them is preparation, and the other is the jutsu itself. You have to get the hand signs and exercises down pat. You need a strong foundation of movement and focus before you can even think about using chakra.

"Try again.

"Again.

"Better.

"Good work Naruto. Now, why don't we move on."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," said Naruto.

"Alright, that concludes the physical part of the test," said Iruka-sensei. "Now I have this written work I need you to do."

"Great, I hate this kind of thing," muttered Naruto as they moved to two desks.

"Quit complaining, will you?" asked Tenten. "Why are you even here if you don't want to do the work?"

"Well, I have to get to the next grade, don't I?" asked Naruto. "So I've got to do this test."

This was too much. Tenten had been working nonstop to get ahead, and he'd matched her when he started trying. "Here's an idea. Maybe you should try learning because you want to learn. Instead, you're dismissing Iruka-sensei's work as a boring formality!

"It's disrespectful to him and to the school!"

Naruto flinched. "Oh um... right, sorry, I'll uh... focus on the work." He bowed to Iruka-sensei. "Sorry, sensei."

"It's fine," said Iruka-sensei. "Now, let's get to work."

Tenten did get to work and obsessively tried to stay awake while filling out work. She'd been obsessively studying in the library whenever she got a spare moment. And so she found she often had the answer. But it was incredibly dull.

The only consolation was that Naruto was nearly as miserable as she was. Even if he was actually trying.

"...Ugh, I hate doing this. Just bear with it, Tenten," That was what she thought. "Keep working at it, and you'll do it. You've been working nonstop to ace this test; you're way ahead of all the others. You can do it."

And on the test went. Tenten answered every single question she could, while Naruto answered very few. He kept on getting hung up on one weird problem after another, and he kept glancing over at her. Not that Tenten provided him with any help.

She was not going to help him cheat. If he didn't know the answers now, he should have studied before. And, eventually, Iruka-sensei took their work to his desk. There they waited while he looked through each one.

Finally, Iruka-sensei sighed. "Alright, I have your results."

Iruka-sensei took a moment to clear his throat. Tenten and Naruto waited for the critical moment. This was it; if Tenten didn't make it now, she'd end up having to spend an entire year in this class. Nobody would take her seriously, and she'd have to put up with Naruto and the others.

"Tenten, given your outstanding work. I am pleased to say that you'll be moving ahead a grade," said Iruka-sensei. "I've never seen a student throw themselves so hard into their studies like you.

"You've done in months what some students don't succeed at in a year.

"You should be proud to be moving up."

Tenten leaped into the air and cheered. "Thank you so much, sensei. I wouldn't have made it without you."

Iruka nodded and turned to Naruto a bit too quickly for Tenten's liking. "Naruto... you need to stay back for the rest of the school year."

"What? But why?" asked Naruto.

"You're written work is disorganized and badly put together," said Iruka-sensei. "Writing reports is actually an important part of being a ninja. They are an integral part of scouting missions. At the same time, your technique for many of the jutsu hand signs is sloppy, and your form is in need of correction.

"I will say that you are doing far better than you were before. Your grades the last time you attempted this were well below average. But you need to put more effort in if you want to get ahead."

Naruto looked like he was on the verge of tears, the absolute moron. "I... but Iruka-sensei, I worked hard to get here already!"

Iruka-sensei sighed. "You've got certain disadvantages, Naruto. Without anyone to train with at home, it's more difficult for you to work at things. However, you also have a lot of things you could improve despite that.

"Keep working at it, though, and I think you'll make it through the year with flying colors."

Naruto nodded. "...Right, thank you, Iruka-sensei."

Oh, so the pep talk got reserved for the failure who didn't put any work in—no time to congratulate the successful underdog. Tenten scoffed to herself. "Disadvantages, yeah, right. He's the most privileged person in the village."

Iruka-sensei then turned to her. "Now, Tenten, you made a request of me a week ago. I finally got the results back, and we can discuss it back there."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," said Tenten, cheering up a bit. Oh, finally, some good news. This was sure to be some good news about her destiny. Tenten walked with Iruka-sensei to a back room while Naruto walked out.

"So what do the tests say, Iruka-sensei? I'm a Senju, aren't I?" asked Tenten. Maybe she was a distant cousin of Tsunade, or even a granddaughter or-

"As far as I can tell, you're completely healthy, in shape, ordinary young girl," said Iruka-sensei.

Tenten paused, feeling her dreams crack a little. "You mean ordinary, as in the sense that my bloodline doesn't define who I am?"

"No, I mean ordinary in the sense of ordinary," said Iruka-sensei. "You don't have a bloodline; there was no trace of any special traits to your chakra network or kekki genki."

"But I aced this work in three months!" said Tenten. "You said yourself I'm well above average."

"That was more a result of your drive than any inherent superiority," said Iruka-sensei. "Which is something to be proud of. Also, since you are older, you have a bit of an edge over the other kids."

"I heard that Hyuga can control their chakra networks," said Tenten, feeling even worse. "Maybe I'm holding myself back."

"No," said Iruka-sensei. "Chakra doesn't work like that."

"Well, um, are you sure I don't have some Inuzuka?" asked Tenten. "I mean, maybe that's why all those wolves were trying to eat me. And all of them have brown hair."

"Sorry to disappoint you," said Iruka-sensei.

"So I don't have anything!" said Tenten, now somewhat angry.

Iruka-sensei sighed. "Look, bloodlines are overrated Tenten. Not every Uchiha becomes Madara, not every Senju becomes Hashirama. Plenty of ordinary ninja are stronger than members of the Uchiha Clan."

"Yes, but every Madara and Hashirama has some kind of bloodline!" said Tenten. "You have to have some sort of overpowered ability, or you're completely doomed."

Iruka-sensei sighed. "My sensei was Orochimaru, Tenten. Believe me when I tell you, power is overrated."

Tenten saw what he was saying now and kicked herself for not seeing it earlier. "Oh, I get it. You're saying that if I become like Madara or Hashirama despite not having a bloodline, I'll be even cooler."

Iruka-sensei put his face in his hands. "...no, I'm saying that you shouldn't bank everything on achieving greatness. Not everyone can achieve greatness, and a lot of the people who don't like it one bit."

"Well, I want to be great," said Tenten. "What am I going to do if I give up? Go run a weapons shop?" Knowing her luck, world peace would break out. Still, there was something else. "So um... about the spiritual scan?"

"Oh, that," said Iruka-sensei. "Well, we did all the tests. We are 100% certain you are not the reincarnation of some great hero. Or the reincarnation of anyone, as far as we can tell. There are indications that your identity is younger than your chakra network.

"That sometimes happens when a person has foreign chakra poured into them at birth. Certain medical procedures alter a baby's chakra as a side effect.

"But that could be a misreading or fluke, and since you said you were in the woods, it probably was. And it doesn't have any effect we can see. It's all pseudo-science anyway, so I wouldn't put too much faith in it. I don't even believe in reincarnation.

"But if you do buy into this kind of test, you aren't one. They say you're on your first life."

Tenten felt depressed now. "Seriously?

"I thought I'd get something from that. How am I supposed to achieve my destiny if I don't have one?"

Iruka-sensei paused. "...Well, you could also view this as an opportunity."

"Opportunity?" asked Tenten.

"Well, if you had Yamanaka blood, you'd have to train in Yamanaka techniques. Otherwise, you wouldn't make effective use of your natural talents," said Iruka-sensei. "If you were a Hyuga, you'd have to accept the Caged Bird Seal. If you were an Inuzuka, you'd have to focus on beast techniques to be effective.

"You aren't any of those things. You're normal.

"That means you can focus on whatever strategy or build you like. All without fear of not using your natural abilities."

Except Tenten's natural levels of chakra had tested as low. Her reserves were below average, so even in that, she was limited. "Oh, right, right, thank you."

"Now, you'd better get some rest," said Iruka-sensei. "You'll be moving up to the next level soon, so you'll have to work even harder than before. Some of the subjects in this grade are a bit more advanced."

Tenten nodded and tried to stay upbeat. "I won't let you down, Iruka-sensei."

"I'm sure you won't," said Iruka-sensei.

Tenten made her way out of the school, feeling disappointed and bitter. Yes, she'd gotten into her proper grade category. But that was catching up to where she ought to have been all along. And now it was obvious that there was nothing special about her.

Maybe it was an opportunity.

But having a reality-warping eye power seemed like a much bigger one. Especially if you weren't in debt and living in a one-room apartment with no furniture. Even so, Tenten tried to stay optimistic. As she walked, she saw Naruto sitting outside on a swingset, looking bitter. Their eyes met, and Tenten despised him.

Why?

Why did Tenten hate him so much at this moment?

It was anger he didn't deserve, so she choked it back and made her way over. "Naruto, you should probably head home. You don't want to hang out here all night, do you?"

"...No, I guess not," said Naruto. "I'm glad you're making it to the next grade."

"Me too," said Tenten without feeling it.

And Naruto left.

Tenten hated him, and she did not know why. It disturbed her, and she made a mental note to not let that hatred influence her actions. Why had he tried to graduate to the next grade early anyway? And why did she hate him?

It was not as though Naruto had ever done anything to her personally. Yet she found her blood boiled at his memory.

It didn't matter.

Tenten was sure she'd never hear from him again. But she hoped things would get better for him in the meantime.


	6. Next Grade

Tenten entered her new classroom, feeling just a bit self-conscious.

This turned out to be the right attitude to have if some of the students' looks were any indication. "Hey, isn't that girl the one who keeps cleaning places up and painting fences? What is she doing here?"

"I hear she's so poor that she has to pay the entrance fee ahead of time," said another.

Tenten felt anger at that but choked down her pride and took her place. As she did, she told herself there was no point in flaring up. They'd only get what they wanted then. "Yep, more scoffers and hypocrites. I'll bet none of them have ever done an honest day's work in their life.

"Don't say that to them; it'll just make you enemies and won't fix anything."

That's what she thought to herself as she sat down next to a familiar face. Neji Hyuga was scanning over a scroll containing hand signs. Did he remember her? "Hey, um, Neji?"

"Tenten, is it?" asked Neji.

Tenten felt a sense of relief at that. Three months had been pretty hectic, and she hadn't had any friends during that time. Well, she'd had employers she liked but no friends. "Oh, you remember me, nice."

"I see you advanced a grade early," said Neji, shuffling paper.

"Why do you always speak in that formal tone?" asked Tenten.

"Most Hyuga do," said Neji. "Lord Hiashi does not look kindly on-"

And then a boy in a white training gi came forward, wearing his hair in a bowl cut. He was slim, with thick eyebrows on tan skin. "Welcome to the class, Tenten! I am Rock Lee, and I am extremely pleased to make your acquaintance! I hope that we shall become splendid ninja together!"

"Oh, nice to meet you," said Tenten, a bit weirded out. "So, are you two friends or-"

"No," said Neji quickly.

"Neji is a formal individual and highly respectful, if blunt," said Rock Lee. "I regret to say that we have not yet become friends."

"Stop embarrassing us, Lee," said Neji.

And then Iruka-sensei arrived because he seemed to run multiple classes at once. Tenten could only assume this was the result of extreme talent with a clone jutsu. "Alright, class, everyone here has learned the hand signs for doing jutsu. Today we are going to focus on learning to wield chakra. If you follow me, I'd like all of you to begin a test."

Tenten was surprised at this, expecting a written test. However, instead, Tenten was lead to a jogging track alongside the others. As she arrived, she looked at it. "What are we doing in the jogging track."

"You'll see," said Rock Lee. "I've already done this training field."

"Alright, everyone, I want all of you to begin running," said Iruka-sensei. "Keep doing so until you're told to stop. If you stop before ordered, it will detract from your score."

"What's all this about?" asked Tenten as they started.

"It's a technique for getting people to connect with their chakra reserves," said Neji. "One often taps into them in high-stress situations. Once you get in contact with your chakra reserves, however, it becomes easier to access them."

"Well, what if someone had a really massive amount of chakra or something?" asked Tenten.

"There was a clan called the Uzumaki's. They were documented to have immense chakra reserves," mused Neji. "I believe they had a great deal of difficulty performing ordinary jutsu because of it. They couldn't access their chakra reserves as easily."

"Wait, wait, wait, Uzumaki?" asked Tenten, blinking. "As in, Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yes," said Neji. "That is the name of one of the school's pranksters. What of it?"

"No relation, right?" asked Tenten.

"I do not know," said Neji. "I am not interested in failures."

"Well, I mean, uh... I sort of noticed Naruto has enough of a stipend to eat ramen regularly," said Tenten. "And well, um, he is constantly hanging out in the Hokage's office, and nobody stops him."

"Why do you care?" asked Neji flatly.

Tenten wondered why it was that she cared. Naruto seemed to be a sore spot for her, even though she'd left him behind. "I don't get to eat out at restaurants, okay.

"It's just... weird that a hated orphan gets free room and board while having the same name as a clan with huge amounts of chakra."

"It may bear further investigation," said Neji. "Perhaps you should find a list of former students in this academy. If any of them share the name of Uzumaki, it could lead you to the truth.

"For now, our focus must be on the task at hand."

And run they did.

Other students often ran very quickly, but Tenten took time to pace herself. She didn't bother racing ahead because she had nothing to prove to them. It was her score that mattered, after all. Neji seemed to have a similar idea, but Lee was even farther behind them.

Now and then, the other kids would throw mocking commentary his way, but he just pressed on.

"Lee is lagging behind..." said Tenten.

"He usually does," said Neji. "Lee has very, very low chakra reserves. Perhaps nonexistent.

He is never going to pass."

"Yeah, but he's got to be able to run faster, isn't he?" asked Tenten.

"Oh, he can, I merely suggested he pace himself," said Neji.

"Aw, poor Lee can't even keep up at all," said a boy. "Gonna cry?" And he raced on by.

"Idiots," muttered Neji. "They'll exhaust themselves racing ahead. Then they'll burn out. I pass them every time."

"What makes you say that?" asked Tenten.

"I've observed their behavior," said Neji. "Many of those who enter this academy joined because they wanted to be ninja. Not because they understood what the job entailed or what would be required.

"They are destined for failure."

"That's a little harsh," said Tenten, though admittedly, it seemed like it could be accurate.

"So are you, of course," said Neji.

Tenten took offense to that. "Says you! I'm going to be a great ninja like Lady Tsunade!"

"Get used to disappointment," said Neji flatly.

"Been there, done that," said Tenten. She'd seen nothing but disappointment so far. "Well, what about you, Mr. I'm-the-only-Hyuga in public school? What's your destiny?"

"That is no concern of yours," said Neji. "As for why I am here, I am hereby choice. I made a conscious choice to join the academy and go through the normal avenues of training. My options in the Hyuga Clan were... limited."

"Lee, stop running, for now, I'd say you've run enough," said Iruka-sensei. "You as well."

"Why do they get to stop?" whined a student.

"Just keep at it," said Iruka-sensei. "No sense in arguing with a decision you can't change."

On they went, and Neji wouldn't say anything more about the Hyuga Clan. Tenten didn't press him at all since it wasn't really her business. Eventually, after everyone else had long since had to abandon the race, they were called up.

"Tenten, Neji, you're up," said Iruka-sensei.

Now all of them stood before Iruka-sensei and noticed he'd set up a number of scrolls. "Alright, you're probably wondering what the point of that was.

"It was, in a way, a warmup. In order to use a jutsu, you need to summon the life energy, the chakra that exists in all living things. By running until you were all starting to get winded, you've caused the chakra inside you to stop flowing.

"When you are fully trained, you should be able to call on chakra at will.

"For now, however, I want you to close your eyes. Clear your mind by that meditation technique we learned earlier."

"Um... I wasn't here for that," said Tenten.

"Then close your eyes, take deep breaths, Tenten, and remain motionless," said Iruka-sensei. "Do it until your breathing is controlled and you aren't panting anymore."

"Right..." said Tenten, doing as she was told. She breathed in, then out, and tried to access her chakra. Little by little, she found she'd awakened herself a bit and opened her eyes to find herself centered.

"Good," said Iruka-sensei. "Now, I want all of you to follow my lead and follow me performing these jutsu motions in order. Do it until I tell you to stop."

"Yes, sensei," They said.

Tenten did as she was told and found it was a lot more difficult than she expected. Lee seemed to be performing the movements well, though. But it was Neji who was performing the best. Neji's hands were moving in an absolute blur, performing the jutsu combinations. His expression seemed bored.

"Practicing these is actually pretty difficult," said Tenten.

"Get used to it," said Neji. "We do this a great deal."

"Lee, you're not performing the jutsu motions properly," said Iruka-sensei. "Adjust your motions like this.

"Tenten, you're doing it too quickly and are losing focus; slow down and do it properly or not at all."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," said Tenten. She'd been trying to match pace with Neji, which was probably a mistake.

"So uh, this Uzumaki Clan, how much chakra did they have on average?" whispered Tenten.

"Massive amounts of it, and their chakra had a unique quality," mused Neji. "Though it could account for the whiskers as well."

Tenten blinked. "Wait, whiskers?

"Huh, now that you mention it, Naruto did have whiskers."

"You're telling me you did not notice?" asked Neji.

"I judge people based on what I see them do, okay," said Tenten. "How do you even know what Naruto looks like. You were never in the same room as-"

"Three hundred and sixty degrees, x-ray vision," said Neji. "I keep an eye out so I can avoid his pranks. I once got splashed with paint and was punished by the Elders because of it."

"Oh right," said Tenten. "Anyway, Naruto has got to have loads of chakra. Painting one building is really hard work, but painting three of them? In less than an hour? That's gotta take a lot of energy.

"What I don't get is why he is such an outcast?"

"I do not know or care," said Neji. "I doubt he'll pass the academy exams."

"Cut the chatter you two and focus," said Iruka-sensei.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," said Tenten.

And so began her schooldays.

Some of Tenten's classes were more of the same, with more elaborate movements. Lee turned out to actually be pretty good at taijutsu, and Tenten tried to keep up. Neji though was an absolute master. His every movement was fluid and performed with grace and power she couldn't come close to.

It was clear Neji was the Sasuke of his class.

Yet Neji did not seem to have attracted a harem of squeeing girls. His focus was intense and powerful, and he hardly responded when spoken to. Sasuke was focused and a bit of a showoff, but Neji...

It was almost as if he were some sort of god. Untouchable and impersonal. Only Lee seemed to want to approach him.

Either way, no one spoke directly to Neji.

And later, during lunch, Lee approached her with a book. "Tenten, I found a book of notable Leaf Shinobi in order to help with your investigation. It is here."

Tenten hadn't been aware Lee had known about it. Taking the book, she flipped through it. "Oh, thanks, Lee. Let me see.

"Okay, Uzumaki Clan...

"Huh. It says here that the Uzumaki Clan were the leaders of a powerful ninja village that was Konoha's ally. They were scattered during the wars, and one of them, Mito, ended up marrying Hashirama.

"Um... then there was Kushina Uzumaki who married the Fourth Hokage. She was also the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Fox. Apparently, she was an accomplished ninja but eventually married Minato Namikaze. She had a son with him. However, while she was giving birth, the nine-tails escaped, killing her.

"Come to think of it, anyone who was alive before the Nine-tails attacked ought to know. How is it possible that nobody has figured this out before now?"

"It is probably because nobody asked," said Neji. "In the aftermath of the Nine-tails assault, the entire village had to be rebuilt. The Hokage was dead, many records were destroyed. And many people were never found and only declared dead after years of searching.

"It is likely that any children Minato had were assumed dead. And people had survival to concern themselves with."

"This does not seem proof enough," noted Rock Lee. "Perhaps Naruto is merely a child that Minato chooses to fuse the Nine-tailed Fox into for lack of a better option."

"Nine-tailed Fox?" asked Neji, blinking. "Lee, what are you talking about?"

Rock Lee looked at him in surprise. "Naruto Uzumaki has limitless chakra. He has whiskers, and it outcast by the village for reasons no one will say. The Nine-tails had whiskers, nearly limitless chakra, was nearly destroyed the village.

"It all seems to fit with him being the Nine-tailed Fox."

"There's no proof of that, Lee," said Tenten. "We're talking about whether Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage."

"Lee's points are surprisingly well made," mused Neji. "On their own, they do not provide evidence. But combined with the other elements we have discovered, they make sense. Especially when you consider that the Nine-tailed Fox has not reappeared. So it seems certain that it was sealed. People with enough chakra to contain a tailed beast are rare. And the only child the Fourth Hokage likely had on hand was his son, who was of a bloodline that specialized in it.

"That, and there was very little time to make any kind of plan. So the Hokage's son being used for that purpose seems likely. If he did not have a child on hand, it would make more sense to simply kill the fox.

"Jinchuuriki are a valuable asset. But it would have been outweighed by the time it took to find another child."

"It could be something else," noted Tenten.

"Tenten, when developing a theory, the simplest solution is usually the right one," said Neji. "The more assumptions you must make for a theory to be viable, the less believable it is.

"Examine what we know.

"We know that Naruto Uzumaki has the name of a notable Clan, a member of which married the Fourth Hokage. We know that he has a good relationship with the current Hokage. And we also know that he is receiving an extensive stipend. This despite being universally reviled.

"If he were ordinary, none of this would have happened.

"If he were the son of Minato Namikaze, a great hero, he would not be reviled.

"If he were the Nine-tailed Fox with no notable connections, he would not receive such leniency."

"How has no one figured this out before now?" asked Tenten.

"I expect no one cared," said Neji.

"Ahem," said a voice.

They looked up to see Iruka-sensei looming over them.

"Iruka-sensei?" asked Tenten.

"If you're done piecing together state secrets, we do have a class about to happen," said Iruka-sensei.

"Sorry," said Tenten. "I didn't mean to be late."

"I'm surprised," said Iruka-sensei. "It's not like you to be late, Neji."

"I apologize, Iruka-sensei," said Neji.

Off they went to class, and it was genjutsu this time. Iruka-sensei passed out the textbook. "Turn to genjutsu basics, you three."

"Yes, sensei!" They said in unison.

Tenten read the opening line. "Genjutsu is the art of inferring with another creature's chakra network. By inserting your own chakra into a person, you may influence what they see, feel, hear and smell. A good genjutsu is one that a person never notices taking effect.

"In general, a genjutsu is easier to use if a person wants to believe what they see. Or if they are specifically looking for the subject of the illusion. More sophisticated genjutsu requires a more sophisticated understanding of manipulation. Conversely, defending against genjutsu is a matter of awareness.

"The less you believe in what you are seeing, the easier it will be to break. A ninja with control of their emotions will find defending against genjutsu easier. Above all, however, breaking genjutsu requires an iron will.

"It has been theorized that some people can become immune to genjutsu. However, no individual has been found to have achieved this immunity. No individual on record has ever gained total control of their own psyche.

"-quote by Itachi Uchiha."

That was the start of a lot of theoretical studies that Tenten did her best to comprehend. Even so, it was dry and very boring work. It was difficult to not get sidetracked imagining great victories. But, eventually, Tenten finished work and made her way out of the school. Walking to a sparring arena outside class, she saw Lee practicing his stances. "Ugh, classes are way tougher now. And I still have to do all my odd jobs at the same time.

"Being a ninja is tough, and I haven't even fully graduated yet."

Lee halted and looked up. "Tenten, would you care to spar?"

Tenten blinked. "Hmm, right now?"

"Yes, why not?" asked Lee. "What better way to see how we compare and need to improve."

Tenten put down her back and went to face him. "Alright, but nothing too rough."

"Excellent," said Lee. "Soon, I shall prove myself to be a master of the Will of Fire."

"Master of the Will of Fire?" asked Tenten, taking a stance.

"Yes," said Lee.

Tenten found the idea a little offensive, though she didn't see why. "Hang on, Lee, the ideal of the Will of Fire is that the entire village is one great family unit. And all of them look out for one another. You can't be a master of the Will of Fire. The ideal of the Will of Fire is that it serves others."

"Hmm, yes, perhaps a poor choice of words on my part," said Lee. "Let us spar!"

And so they began their spar.

Tenten found that Lee was fast on his feet. She had difficulty defending against his onslaught. Moving around, she parried his thrusts before ducking low and bringing around a kick. Yet Lee spun over it and landed on his hands. Surging forward, Tenten unleashed a flurry of punches that he parried with his legs.

Then he spun away to descend below her. As he did, however, Tenten brought around an elbow and knocked him backward. Lee fell backward but bent way back to catch himself on the ground before spinning his lower body over his head. He was landing in a crouch.

He and Tenten took a stance and halted. "Um, well, you certainly seem to have put a lot of work into your training."

"You do not need to spare my feelings, Tenten," said Rock Lee. "I realize I am not a very gifted student. However, with the power of hard work, I intend to one day become a splendid ninja."

"Well, I guess it's great to have dreams," said Tenten. "Hey, do you ever challenge Neji like this?"

"I have challenged Neji once every single day for the last year," said Rock Lee.

Tenten blinked. "...Any wins?"

"Not a one," said Lee. "But I have learned with each defeat, and it has inspired me to become stronger."

"Ah, right, yeah, that sounds uh... inspiring," said Tenten, finding him weird. Really weird. "So, I have to go."

"I understand. Do not let me detain you," said Rock Lee.

Tenten got her bags and walked back home. "That guy is weird.

"Nice.

"But weird."

And then Tenten began her usual rounds, borrowing a mop and cleaning wherever she could. Over time she'd expanded her business. Gradually she was doing work for several different customers. Still, she couldn't expand any further without help.

By the time Tenten finished, she was tired and dead on her feet. And then she saw Ichiraku Ramen, where Naruto was eating. Tenten's mouth watered at the idea of eating ramen. She thought about telling him what she'd learned. But, no, that wasn't any of her business anyway, and she didn't have the money.

Still, her stomach was growling. "...I could use some food.

"No, no, I don't eat out. I cook my own food. For now, I'll shoot some targets. That'll cheer me up and get some practice in."

And so Tenten walked to the target range where she practiced shots. Fortunately, the Leaf Village provided free kunai for training. So long as you put them back when you were done.

And then she saw him.

More importantly, she saw his movements. Tenten had thought of Neji's movements as godlike, but it was like a child compared to these. He stood tall and clad in black garb, and hurled five kunai, stuck close together. As they flew, he caught them with a kunai of his own, and each one-shot off a distant way.

Every single one of them got a perfect bullseye. His technique was perfect, and Tenten saw his face. His eyes were the red of an Uchiha, and his face was like a mask. He was... handsome, very handsome, and Tenten felt herself going flush at the sight of him. It was a similar irrational feeling to what she'd felt when she'd seen Sasuke now and then, but...

"...Um, are you Itachi Uchiha?" asked Tenten.

He halted and looked to her as if he'd only just noticed her. "Yes.

"Have we met?"

"Oh, no, not at all," said Tenten. "I just uh... well, I sort of heard a lot of stories about your skills at hurling kunai. It was sort of the inspiration for my own techniques."

"I see," said Itachi.

Tenten found herself shifting beneath his gaze. "I uh, I'm actually here to practice."

Itachi nodded. "You should do that."

Tenten nodded and got her set of practice kunai out. Raising one, she hurled it, then hurled another. She slipped, though, and only bounced the second kunai into a target. Risking a glance up, she saw Itachi had done one better. "Hey, um... could you tell me if I'm doing anything wrong."

"No," said Itachi.

"No, I'm not doing anything wrong or no..." Tenten gulped. "No, you just don't care."

"No," said Itachi with a slight smile.

"Big brother Itachi!" called a voice.

Tenten turned and saw Sasuke Uchiha rushing into the room toward Itachi. She felt a surge of irritation that he turned fully to face Sasuke when he'd barely glanced at her. But Tenten told herself she was being irrational. It wasn't like she had any entitlement to special treatment.

"Sasuke, what are you doing out here?" asked Itachi.

"I came to watch you practice," said Sasuke. "You haven't been around the Uchiha compound at all lately."

"I see," said Itachi. "I'm glad to hear it. You may learn a thing or two.

"Still, I'm surprised you showed this kind of interest."

"Well, one of the kids from my class graduated early," said Sasuke, as if Tenten wasn't even in the room. "Mom and Dad won't let me do it, though. I want to be like you."

Itachi paused as Tenten started shooting targets while pretending not to listen. "...You're probably better off waiting a bit before graduating, Sasuke. When I fought in the Third Shinobi World War, I was your age. I had to grow up very quickly, learn techniques and abilities. Father pressed me to put aside my personal feelings to fight for the honor of the Uchiha clan.

"I had to become the perfect weapon.

"But once I became the perfect weapon, there was very little left of Itachi Uchiha."

"You're always saying weird things like that, brother," said Sasuke.

Itachi laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am. Here, let me show you something."

Tenten looked up and saw Itachi do the same move he'd done earlier, but with ten kunai. Every one of them was a bullseye. Sasuke stared in awe. "How did you do that?!"

"It's a difficult maneuver," said Itachi. "You have to throw the kunai close together. Then you have to strike them in just the right way to scatter them.

"It's all about cause and effect, Sasuke. This is why written material is important.

"Once you understand the fundamental principles of a thing, you are that thing's master. You try." Sasuke tried it, and Tenten was pleased to see him fail to hit the ten shurikens. She probably should not have been, but she had trained very hard to get as good as she was. If Sasuke could just replicate the technique, it wouldn't be fair.

"Aw, I missed," said Sasuke.

"Keep trying, and you'll get it eventually," said Itachi. "Or if you don't, you'll learn something from the failure. Learn from every mistake and never make it twice. Then you cannot help but be victorious in a thousand battles.

"Here, try like this."

More demonstrations.

Tenten observed Itachi throw them and tried to mimic the movement. Hurling the kunai, she caught them from behind. However, their shots sprayed wildly and went wide.

"Come on, notice me," thought Tenten to herself. "Notice me!"

"Out of kunai, I'll have to gather them again," said Itachi. "We should probably head back, Sasuke. I've got to talk to Father about a mission he has me working on."

"What kind of mission? Is it from the Hokage?" asked Sasuke as they walked.

"No, it's an internal matter for the Uchiha Clan," said Itachi, and as he walked past Tenten, he stretched visibly. "I can't talk about it right now. Maybe later, when it's over."

And he was gone.

And Tenten was alone, ordinary as usual. "Oh, why do all my idols never notice me?

"Fine! I'll show them all! I'll complete that technique he finished up and do it when he's there! Then we'll see who gets the attention!" Her stomach growled. "But uh... first I'd better get something to eat."

Tenten got back home and began to cook dinner. Why was it that she felt the way she did about the Uchiha? She'd never had a conversation with Sasuke, but there had been that impulse there. And Itachi, she'd always idolized him, but never like that until she saw him.

"Cooking for one is always the worst. I almost miss Master Panda," said Tenten.

She didn't have the energy to make anything fancy. But as she was cooking the rice, she noticed something on the sofa. It was her old Fuijutsu Scroll. And on it was a note

Dear Tenten,

Please find enclosed the Fuijutsu Scroll you usually use. I thought you might need it.

Sincerely,

Master Panda.

Tenten smiled happily. "Wow, that's actually really nice of him. Maybe he's actually coming to accept my decision.

"Hang on, it says something else here."

P.S:

It should help with packing your bags after your inevitable failure.

"Choke on your bamboo, you old bastard!" roared Tenten.

Why did absolutely nobody believe in her?!

Still, at least she had a Fuijutsu Scroll she could use. Now she just needed some ink.


	7. Scaling Up

Chapter Seven: Scaling Up

Lee was getting better.

Tenten was forced to cede ground beneath his onslaught as he kicked, punched, and moved around. Her own hands were moving to try and keep him at bay, shifting her stance. Finally, Lee overextended, and Tenten caught his arm. She used his own momentum against him, and judo threw him onto the ground.

Lee landed and spun back into a stance. "You are indeed skilled, Tenten. I will have to work hard to defeat you."

"I uh, thanks," said Tenten, not feeling particularly skilled.

"It's not that she is skilled, Lee," said Neji. "You just have little to no talent whatsoever."

"If I have no talent, then I will simply beat the odds by working harder," said Lee simply.

Tenten crossed her arms. "That attitude is kind of familiar.

"Have you ever met a guy named Might Guy?"

"Yes!" said Lee enthusiastically. "He is the one who inspired me to stay as a ninja! It is his teachings that have seen to it that I continue to train, no matter how many times I fail."

"Your time might be better spent on something you can build a career out of," noted Neji.

"Those are bold words, Neji," said Lee, motioning in a challenge. "Care to back them up?"

Neji sighed. "...Gladly."

And so began a short, confusing, and one-sided brawl that ended with Lee flat on his back. Neji remained still and calm, face expressionless.

"Ow..." murmured Lee.

"Hey, knock it off, you guys," said Tenten. "I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" asked Neji.

The idea had come to Tenten very suddenly when she'd gotten up in the morning. Almost a little too suddenly, but it had seemed to fit. Once she'd run the numbers, she'd finally decided on a course of action. And for some reason, Tenten felt like she had to get to work right away. "Lee, Neji, do you want to earn some money off the books really easy and get some training in at the same time?"

"Do I?" asked Lee. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

"Why are you asking me?" asked Neji, as close to confused as he ever got.

"Well, you guys are sort of the closest thing I have to friends around here, so..." Tenten shifted.

Lee began to cry very manly tears. "That is so beautiful! I would be honored to call you my friend, Tenten! You need only ask!"

"Er... thank you..." said Tenten. Why did her associates have to be so weird?

"What exactly do you have in mind?" asked Neji.

"I run a street cleaning service where I charge a small fee to clean the outside of certain houses," said Tenten. "I also do other odd jobs, painting fences and such. Individually, each house gets me a decent amount of income, but I think it could be way higher than it is now.

"See, I've been running the numbers, and I think that with a team, I could do way more. So much more work that, even split three ways, we'd make a killing."

"I could certainly use the money," said Lee. "I fear that I have been living off a fairly meager stipend from the Hokage."

"What, so everybody gets a stipend but me?" asked Tenten, feeling a bit offended now.

"I do not understand," said Lee. "My family were ninja, while yours were not."

Oh, that made sense. Veterans pay or whatever. "Right, good point Lee.

"Neji, you up?"

"What could make you think I would want to involve myself in this?" asked Neji flatly.

"Well, doing chores actually helps a lot with building muscle," said Tenten. "And anyway, I've been doing some reading. It turns out most starting ninja does a lot of D ranks, which mostly involve this kind of thing.

"So, if we get a head start on this, we'll be able to do it far better than everyone else. We might even be able to corner the market on D ranks!"

"...Is your goal in life to become a handyman, Tenten?" asked Neji flatly.

"No, but it'll help us with training," said Tenten. "It'll make us some disposable income, and it's not like you have anything better to do."

"I'll have you know that there are numerous other, important duties I fulfill. The Hyuga family in my spare hours" said Neji.

"Really? What are those?" asked Tenten.

Neji paused. "...Erm, being forced to fight Hiashi's daughter, Hinata. I suspect the Elders will be sending me into another match.

"She's timid by nature and doesn't fight back. Hiashi expects me to attack her aggressively in spars in the hopes she'll get a killer instinct. And if I don't cooperate, they activate the pain receptors in my brain.

"They also do it if I get too aggressive."

"And you would rather be doing that than odd jobs?" asked Tenten. Something else was going on here, wasn't it?

"I also spend time observing the Main Clan practice the techniques I am not allowed to learn," said Neji.

"Really wowing me with your excuses here, Neji," said Tenten.

"This isn't the point, Tenten," said Neji. "Doing menial labor for a pittance of pay is beneath my dignity."

"But you're going to have to do it anyway when you start D ranks aren't you?" asked Tenten.

"Yes," said Neji reluctantly.

"So wouldn't it be better to get used to it now?" asked Tenten. "I mean, you're the one always going on about destiny. It's your destiny to mop floors when you graduate. Aren't you the one who says destiny cannot be-"

"Just give me the damn mop!" snapped Neji.

"Great, we'll see if we can burrow two others and we'll get started with our rounds," said Tenten.

"Right now?" asked Neji.

"When are we going to have a better time?" asked Neji. "Come on."

And so Tenten distributed the equipment they had bought this morning. They headed to their first mark. They found Ino waiting for her as she'd gotten into the habit of doing. "Oh, Tenten, you're here.

"I gotta tell you, this is a lifesaver-

"Uh, who are your friends?"

"Oh, they'll be helping me out," said Tenten. "Don't worry, our pay is still the same as mine was. We're splitting it three ways."

"Right, great," said Ino. "Anyway, I have to water the roses."

"Don't worry," said Tenten. "We'll handle it.

"Alright, now I'll show you the ropes."

And so began Tenten's period of instructing Neji and Lee in the art of doing menial chores. Lee seemed incredibly enthusiastic and followed her directives without hesitation. Neji did as well; however, he had a very focused expression. Like he was hating every minute of this but didn't want to admit this. And was also unwilling to quit, but also unwilling to admit why he wouldn't quit.

"No, no, put your back into it!" said Tenten. "Move faster. We've got other places to do, Neji."

"Will you stop yelling at me? I am perfectly capable of doing all this," said Neji, who had started to lag behind Lee. "Why is this... so... difficult."

"Because you're taking a lot of positions that we never take in sparring practice," said Tenten. "Doing this is using muscles we haven't trained as much in. The academy trains us in muscles you use while fighting. Now quit your whining and work."

They finished quickly. Neji and Lee were both enthusiastic and willing to learn. Unfortunately, Neji had an attitude problem. And he kept missing places on the street and having to go back for them. Eventually, Ino came out and looked at them. "Oh, done already?"

"Yes, ma'am, we finished right on time," said Tenten.

"Great, here's your pay," said Ino. "This is a huge help. How did you get Neji to help with this anyway?"

Neji's silence was blood-chilling.

"Nevermind, I uh... let's drop it," said Ino.

Tenten took her money and wondered how Neji knew Ino. "Right, we'll head out."

At that moment, Naruto Uzumaki sped by them, with two open buckets of paint, pursued by Chunin. As he passed, paint splashed from the buckets, and Neji rolled out of the way. However, it got all over the cobblestones, destroying an hour's work.

"Ahahahaha! You'll never catch me!" said Naruto.

"Get back here!" said his pursuers.

"Oh no," said Tenten, putting her face in her hands. "Neji, Lee, we're going back."

"But we finished," said Neji. "The letter of our contract clearly indicates-"

"I don't care about the letter of our contract, Neji!" said Tenten. "We got hired to do a job, and Naruto had wrecked it. Well, we're not leaving it half done, even if it is half done and is not our fault! That's not how professionals do things!"

"Honestly, what is his problem!" said Ino. "Now there's paint all over the street. And the walls."

"Don't worry, Ino, we'll take care of it on the house," said Tenten.

Ino nodded. "Right, thanks, I guess. You're a real lifesaver."

"Do we not have other appointments to make?" asked Neji. "If we come back later-"

"Yeah, but we saved a lot of time," said Tenten. "If we finish up here, we should be able to get there right on time. Now put your backs into it, this is a job, not a vacation!"

"Why did I agree to this?" murmured Neji.

Neji was a bit of a complainer, actually.

It was rather odd to see him like this. In the academy, he was the example of perfection every instructor spoke of. Here, however, he was lagging behind her and Lee and had a far worse attitude about it. Not that he wasn't doing the work, and he seemed like he was trying to be professional. But you could tell by how he worked, how he missed spots, that he was out of his depth. Not to mention that he did not want to be here.

So why was he here?

Tenten had picked him because an impulse had told her his Byakugan could come in handy. It had seemed very important that he be part of the group. Urgent, even, but she couldn't say why.

Whatever the reason, though, Neji looked increasingly miserable as things went on. Several different people remarked on a Hyuga working in such a lowly position. Tenten realized this was a humiliation for him. So why had he agreed to it?

Either way, his complaints fell away as they cleaned the street. He began working, still looking miserable as he did so. Tenten tried to focus him on parts of the job that were harder to screw up, and he did okay. Yet, he was becoming aware of his own failings.

Why was Neji still here anyway? She wouldn't have minded if he'd backed off.

But, either way, he stayed with them the entire way, as if by compulsion. So Tenten decided not to hold his performance against him. He'd do better next time. "Okay, we finally finished our rounds! Good work, team!"

"I... must confess, I have used some muscles that I did not by training in the academy," said Lee, who looked a bit sore. "How did you come by this strategy for training, Tenten?"

"Oh, I needed the money and saw an opportunity to earn some," said Tenten. "After a bit of work, I figured out that I could practice the movements we use in martial arts while doing it."

"It does seem to be effective," said Lee.

Neji remained completely silent. He was looking at one hand with eyes that seemed almost glazed over. Was someone forcing him to be here or something? Lee also noticed it.

"...Hmm, we actually completed all that faster than I expected," said Tenten. "If we can keep this kind of pace up, I might be able to expand our business ventures."

"You seem to be a natural at this career path," said Neji finally. His usual detachment held a note of bitterness.

"If you're good at something, never do it for free!" said Tenten, before noticing what his statement meant. "Hey!

"I'm not going to be cleaning streets forever, you know! Once I've graduated, I'm going to be a great ninja like Tsunade!"

"Believe what you will," said Neji, almost in a trance. "You cannot change your fate."

Tenten should have known Neji wouldn't be a good sport about all this. Even if he was making money. She clenched a fist as he walked off, but somehow he looked... broken. Why? He'd done fine for the first day. "Grr, Neji is so frustrating sometimes."

"I believe he was hurt, long ago," said Rock Lee. "He has put a wall around his heart and defends it by snide commentary. But he is a good person beneath it."

"Where do you get that idea?" asked Tenten.

"Everyone is a good person beneath the surface," said Rock Lee. "You need to work hard enough to bring it out, Tenten."

Tenten sighed. "Well, anyway, I've got to work on a jutsu I've been trying to master."

"Really, what is it?" asked Lee.

"It's based around sealing inanimate objects into a scroll," said Tenten. "Then, when you open it, you can summon them right away. For instance, I could store this mop without any space.

"I always used to seal weapon shipments in them. But now, I'm trying to seal things in different ways. Like, sealing a weapon in it, so when I unseal it, it flies out."

"Wow, Tenten!" said Rock Lee. "That is an amazing jutsu! I am proud to be called your friend!"

"Great, I need to go," said Tenten. "I've got some plans for expanding business into the Uchiha district I need to make."

"Then I shall leave you to it!" Rock Lee raced off.

Tenten thought about why she'd chosen the Uchiha District. Wouldn't the Nara or Yamanaka make more sense? Ino could recommend her. And the Uchiha were suspicious to outsiders, so...

Come to think of it, Tenten could think of a dozen reasons not to go to the Uchiha district. Overcrowding meant somebody already had her job. Everyone in the place had mind control, hypnosis powers. And she might end up wasting the effort anyway since they'd turn her back at the front gate. Her feeling that she needed to go their first, and soon at that, was weird.

Something in all this didn't add up.

But it was none of Tenten's business anyway. So she pushed her doubts to one side and focused on cooking dinner. Yet something inside her told her things were not as they seemed.


End file.
